Shannon Sharpe stepping away from ESPN in the wake of rape allegations

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.

Shannon Sharpe Getty Images

“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 a man alleged to be 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.