Why Was Shannon Sharpe Fired from ESPN? What the Former NFL Star Has Said About Leaving the Network

Shannon Sharpe has officially parted ways with ESPN.

The former professional football player was cut from the network less than two weeks after he settled a $50 million rape and sexual assault lawsuit. Sharpe initially stepped back from ESPN in April after the suit was first filed against him.

Sharpe had been with the network since 2023, when he joined the talk show First Take alongside Stephen A. Smith and Molly Qerim. He appeared as an NFL and NBA analyst who shared his thoughts on games, trades and industry news. Although he signed a multi-year contract extension with ESPN in June 2024, he officially cut ties with the network in July 2025.

PEOPLE reached out to ESPN for comment, but the network has not addressed the exit. Meanwhile, Sharpe briefly spoke about the decision and shared his mindset.

“They did what they needed to do, and I’m at peace with that,” Sharpe said on a July 30 episode of his Nightcap podcast.

Here’s everything to know about why Shannon Sharpe was fired from ESPN.

Why was Shannon Sharpe fired from ESPN?

ESPN has not shared an official reason for Sharpe’s exit. However, Sharpe’s departure occurred less than two weeks after he settled a $50 million rape and sexual assault lawsuit. When the lawsuit was first filed in April, Sharpe denied any wrongdoing and announced he would step away from ESPN.

Prior to joining the sports media world, he played as a tight end with the Denver Broncos and the Baltimore Ravens and won three Super Bowls. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.

In addition to his work on ESPN, Sharpe found success with his podcasts, Club Shay Shay and Nightcap.

When did Shannon Sharpe first leave ESPN?

Although Sharpe was officially released from ESPN in July, he has been absent from the network since April 24, 2025. At the time, Sharpe wrote on Instagram that he was “temporarily” stepping back from the network just a few days after the rape and sexual assault lawsuit was filed against him.

“My statement is found here and this is the truth,” Sharpe wrote in a since-deleted Instagram post. “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.”

ESPN supported his decision to pause his appearances and told Variety in a statement, “This is a serious situation, and we agree with Shannon’s decision to step away.”

What did the lawsuit say against Shannon Sharpe?

The Hall of Famer’s legal troubles began in April 2025 when a woman, who was never publicly named, accused Sharpe of raping her on multiple occasions over the course of a nearly two-year, “rocky consensual relationship,” per the complaint obtained by PEOPLE.

The woman, who had since moved to Nevada, claimed she met Sharpe at a gym in Los Angeles when she was 22 years old in 2023. She alleged that after he made several advances toward her, she agreed to meet up with him, and they became romantically involved. However, she alleged that their encounters were not always consensual and that he would also record their sexual encounters and share them with other people without her consent.

“A woman can say ‘yes’ to consensual sexual relations with a man ninety-nine times, but when she says ‘no’ even once, that ‘no’ means no,” the complaint stated. “Defendant Shannon Sharpe, a man who is accustomed to getting what he wants, completely fails to understand this basic concept.”

In the $50 million lawsuit, the woman further claimed that Sharpe became violent with her and threatened to kill her after she was late to his home one time. The plaintiff claimed she wanted to pause their relationship after seeing him accidentally livestream himself having sex with another woman on Instagram in September 2024.

However, the following month, the woman alleged that Sharpe forced her into a car and made her perform oral sex and anally raped her.

“Sharpe grabbed her head, forcing her to look at him as she sobbed,” the lawsuit alleged. “He said at that point: ‘Look at this. Look at my arm. I’ve got chills. That’s how good this is.’ ”

In addition to the damage accusations made in the lawsuit, the woman’s attorney, Tony Buzbee, also released an audio clip of a recording that he alleged was Sharpe threatening his client. The clip, which was obtained by PEOPLE in April, appeared to be the woman telling Sharpe not to “manipulate” her.

“If you say that word one more time, I’m gonna f—— choke the s— out of you when I see you,” a voice resembling Sharpe’s said.

Shortly after the lawsuit was filed, Sharpe vehemently denied the allegations, and his attorney, Lanny Davis, said in a statement that it was a “consensual, adult relationship that included role-playing, sexual language, and fantasy scenarios.”

“This is a shakedown,” Sharpe said in a video posted to X on April 22. “I’m going to be open, transparent and defend myself because this isn’t right. This is all being orchestrated by Tony Buzbee.”

Three months after the lawsuit was filed, Buzbee told PEOPLE on July 19 that both parties had settled the case.

“Both sides acknowledge a long-term consensual and tumultuous relationship. After protracted and respectful negotiations, I’m pleased to announce that we have reached a mutually agreed upon resolution,” he said at the time. “All matters have now been addressed satisfactorily, and the matter is closed. The lawsuit will thus be dismissed with prejudice.”

Neither Sharpe nor his attorney commented on the settlement.

What has Shannon Sharpe said about his firing?

Shortly after his firing became public, Sharpe went on one of his podcasts to explain that he was “at peace” with the decision. However, he also explained that he was upset that the news came out ahead of his brother Sterling Sharpe’s induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

“I found out this information a little earlier in the week, and really the only thing that I really asked is, ‘Guys, could we wait until Monday? My brother’s going into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, I really want it to be about him and I want it to be about my family,’ ” Sharpe explained on the July 30 episode of his Nightcap podcast. “I said, ‘This coming out will overshadow everything he’s worked his entire life for.’ And, unfortunately, it didn’t happen that way.”

Despite Sharpe’s wishes, the news of his firing came out ahead of his brother’s induction, so he “profusely apologized” to his brother.

“I really enjoyed my time at ESPN, they gave me an opportunity to bring my audience that saw me really just grow … I’m very very grateful for that,” Sharpe continued. “They did what they felt they needed to do, I’m at peace with that. I just wish this thing could’ve waited until Monday because I hate the fact that I am overshadowing my brother. First two brothers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and this is what the headline is going to be for the next couple of days.”

What will Shannon Sharpe do next?

Since his firing, Sharpe has continued releasing episodes on both his audio shows, Club Shay Shay and Nightcap, which have a combined 6 million subscribers.

According to The Athletic, Sharpe’s contract with The Volume podcast network is ending this August, and he was looking to sign with a new network for a contract that could exceed $100 million before the lawsuit became public. It’s unclear where Sharpe and his projects currently stand.