Shannon Sharpe is stepping down from his duties at ESPN amidst allegations of sexual assault and battery. The internet had gone crazy since Tuesday when a lawsuit was publicly announced by lawyer Tony Buzbee. Sharpe’s legal representation addressed the allegations via his social media pages.
Since the lawsuit became public, both parties have exchanged edited snippets of various audio and text and other media to try and smear the other side and support their claim. Sharpe is a former NFL player and a Hall of Famer. His accuser is known in the lawsuit as Jane Doe, but Sharpe’s team has since divulged her name to the public. The lawsuit claims that the accuser met the 56-year-old Shannon Sharpe when she was only 19. Sharpe would have been 54 at the time.
Sharpe Announced He Would Return for NFL Season
Sharpe announced he is temporarily stepping down from his position at ESPN. He is taking the time to spend with his family and deal with the lawsuit and allegations that have been brought up against him. He released a statement on social media saying,
“My statement is found here, and this is the truth. The relationship in question was 100% consensual. 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 to and dealing with these false and destructive allegations set against me.
“I plan to return to ESPN at the start of the NFL preseason. I sincerely appreciate the overwhelming and ongoing support I have received from my family, fans, friends, and colleagues.”
ESPN Also Releases Statement Addressing Sharpe’s Decision
ESPN has also released a statement saying, “This is a serious situation and we agree with Shannon’s decision to step away.” Sharpe has seen an outpouring of support from his fans following this matter. Stephen A. Smith spoke on it via his podcast and claimed he spoke to ESPN executives on Sharpe’s behalf. It is unclear at this time if ESPN will allow Sharpe back on the network. Sharpe said in his statement that is his intention. ESPN’s statement did not address a potential return at this time.
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