Shannon Sharpe announced on Thursday that he will step away from his role at ESPN for now. This decision comes after he was hit with a $50 million civil lawsuit accusing him of rape. Sharpe has strongly denied the accusations, calling them “false and disruptive.”
In a public statement, he said, “At this time, I am choosing to step aside temporarily from my ESPN duties. I will be devoting this time to my family and to responding to these allegations.”
Sharpe has been a regular face on ESPN’s “First Take” alongside Stephen A. Smith. An ESPN spokesperson shared that they support Sharpe’s decision, stating, “This is a serious situation, and we agree with Shannon’s decision to step away.”
Sharpe said he hopes to return to ESPN by the start of the NFL preseason in late summer. In addition to his work at ESPN, Sharpe hosts the popular podcast, Club Shay Shay.