EXCLUSIVE: Shannon Sharpe will virtually definitely not be returning to ESPN‘s First Take subsequent week.
With rape allegations, a $50 million lawsuit, and a derailed multi-million greenback settlement surrounding the NFL Corridor of Farmer the Jimmy Pitaro-run cable sports activities outlet has determined to bench Sharpe from his common Monday and Tuesday slot on the Stephen A. Smith fronted present, I hear.
Whether or not or not Sharpe returns to First Take in subsequent weeks is TBD apparently.
Presently Disney-owned ESPN intends to “additional examine,” in keeping with one company supply, the Jane Doe claims and Sharpe’s insistence it is a “shakedown” and the connection was untraditional however consensual. Unsurprisingly, the April 22 revelation by Sharpe’s personal lawyer Lanny Davis that the Nightcap podcast co-host supplied to put in writing his accuser a $10 million verify earlier this yr to maintain this on the down-low has additionally “raised considerations” at ESPN.
ESPN had no touch upon Sharpe being taken off First Take subsequent week. Sharpe’s lawyer Davis didn’t reply to request for touch upon the choice by ESPN.
In an explicitly detailed lawsuit filed in Nevada on April 20, the now 21-year-old Jane Doe claims the 56-year-old Sharpe raped her and abused her on two events in Las Vegas over the past yr throughout a relationship. The couple each admit that they began their relationship after assembly in an LA gymnasium in 2023. Searching for $50 million in damages from the three time Tremendous Bowl winner and really profitable broadcast, the civil grievance alleges assault, sexual assault, battery and sexual battery, in addition to intentional infliction of emotional misery.
“After many months of manipulating and controlling Plaintiff — a girl greater than thirty years youthful than he — and repeatedly threatening to brutally choke and violently slap her, Sharpe refused to just accept the reply no and raped Plaintiff, regardless of her sobbing and repeated screams of ‘no,” the 13-page submitting claims.
Jane Doe was named publicly on-line by previous Invoice Clinton confidante Davis not lengthy after the swimsuit was put within the Sin Metropolis state court docket docket. Just like many media shops, Deadline doesn’t establish sexual assault accusers and survivors except they identify themselves. On April 21, Davis additionally launched a plethora of very uncooked textual content messages allegedly despatched by Doe to Membership Shay Shay boss Sharpe over the months that had been supposed to color “a transparent image” of a “consensual, grownup relationship that included role-playing, sexual language, and fantasy eventualities explicitly requested” by the plaintiff.
Plaintiff Jane Doe is represented by Houston-based Tony Buzbee, who’s behind dozens of assault and abuse lawsuits towards Sean “Diddy” Combs.
In a video missive put out earlier Tuesday, Sharpe attacked Buzbee’s credibility immediately and promised to file a defamation lawsuit towards the admittedly aggressive lawyer and the OnlyFans posting Jane Doe. That swimsuit has seemingly not be filed as of at this time, however is predicted within the subsequent day or so.
Presently combating off a authorized motion from Jay-Z over a now self-dismissed rape case that accused the rap celebrity and the much-accused Sean “Diddy” Combs of assaulting a 13-year-old again in 2000, Buzbee confirmed on April 22 that this Jane Doe was “supplied $10 million to settle however rejected that supply, selecting as an alternative to proceed with litigation.”
Buzbee went on to say: Sharpe’s group is now attempting to discredit and dox her. Sharpe and his group at the moment are, as anticipated, additionally attacking me. We’re not going to be deterred by these ways.” To that, Buzbee put out an audio tape on April 22 of a person who sounds loads like Sharpe threatening “I’m going to f*cking choke the sh*t out of you once I see you” to the plaintiff.
Earlier than the $10 million potential settlement information got here out, Stephen A. Smith on April 22 spoke of the allegations towards his self-declared buddy and First Take colleague. Weighing the problems concerned and placing Buzbee in some context, Smith had no solutions on Sharpe’s First Take future. “I can let you know I additionally spoke to co-chairman of Disney, the boss, Jimmy Pitaro, who made it very, very clear that ESPN is taking this matter very critically and we’re wanting into this very, very carefully and as soon as we collect as many information as we presumably can, we’ll go from there,” Smith did say.
Even with that, on the verge of inking a brand new nine-figure deal now that his round $100 million contract with podcast community The Quantity is over, Sharpe has stayed very a lot within the public eye because the lawsuit and its graphic particulars got here out. Moreover look on his personal podcasts and First Take earlier this week, ex-Denver Bronco tight finish Sharpe shall be on the NFL Draft at this time in Wisconsin.
As Nightcap‘s Instagram feed famous earlier than the rape swimsuit was filed:
Airing on ESPN, ABC and the NFL Community, the primary spherical of the 2025 NFL draft begins at this time at 5 pm PT/8 pm ET from Lambeau Area, Inexperienced Bay, Wisconsin. It’s going to even be streamed on ESPN+, NFL+, Hulu+ and YouTube TV. Rounds 2 and three shall be broadcast on April 25 with additional rounds 4 by way of 7 on April 27 at midday ET.
