Shannon Sharpe is taking a temporary leave from ESPN after he was accused of rape in a $50 million civil lawsuit on Sunday.
The 56-year-old, who appears on “First Take,” has repeatedly denied the allegations made by a Jane Doe that he sexually assaulted her in late 2024 and early 2025.
“My statement is found here and this is the truth. The relationship in question was 100% consensual,” Sharpe said in a statement posted to social media on Thursday.
“At this juncture I am electing to step aside temporarily from my ESPN duties. I will be devoting this time to my family, and responding and dealing with these false and disruptive allegations set against me. I plan to return to ESPN at the start of the NFL preseason.”
The accuser’s attorney, Tony Buzbee, released an audio recording this week in which Sharpe can be heard telling the woman, “I might choke you in public.”
Sharpe’s attorney, Lanny J. Davis, has released a series of explicit text messages he says were sent from the accuser to Sharpe, which Davis says illustrates the two had a consensual relationship that involved “role-playing” and “fantasy.”
One alleged text from the accuser in October 2023 says, “I want you to put a dog collar around my neck and choke me with it while you’re f–king me.”
Davis also said this week Sharpe and the accuser were close to a settlement worth “at least $10 million” before she backed out.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Source link
#Shannon #Sharpe #stepping #ESPN #wake #rape #allegations