Shannon Sharpe has made a major announcement about his role at ESPN amid the allegations made against him.
In a statement shared on social media Thursday, Sharpe announced that he would temporarily step away from his ESPN duties in order to “(deal) with these false and disruptive allegations.” He said he plans to return to the network for the NFL preseason in August.
“My statement is found here and this is the truth. The relationship in question was 100% consensual,” Sharpe wrote. “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.
“I sincerely appreciate the overwhelming and ongoing support I have received from my family, fans, friends, and colleagues.”
— shannon sharpe (@ShannonSharpe) April 24, 2025
Sharpe is being sued for $50 million by a Jane Doe whom Sharpe’s lawyers have identified as Gabriella Zuniga. Zuniga has said she and Sharpe were involved in an abusive relationship, while Sharpe has accused Zuniga of a “shakedown” and maintained that their relationship was entirely consensual. The suit has involved the public release of a number of explicit text messages, and also led to Zuniga’s Instagram and OnlyFans pages being publicly revealed.
Sharpe joined ESPN in 2023 as a panelist on “First Take” shortly after his high-profile departure from FOX Sports. His future with the network had been questioned since the allegations surfaced, but Sharpe maintains he will successfully defend himself and be back on the air in a few months.
