Shannon Sharpe’s time at ESPN has ended before it really began.
Media reporter Andrew Marchand reported for The Athletic on Wednesday that ESPN has cut ties with Sharpe. This news comes less than two weeks after Sharpe settled his lawsuit with Gabriella Zuniga, a woman who accused him of sexual misconduct.
Sharpe and Zuniga were in a tumultuous consensual sexual relationship after first meeting at a gym. She had sued him in April seeking $50 million over his alleged mistreatment of her. The lawsuit led to great embarrassment and negative attention for Sharpe, who announced on April 24 that he was stepping away from ESPN. Sharpe had said at the time that he would be back on ESPN in the future, but that is not happening.
There were questions about whether or not Sharpe would return to his work at ESPN, but now we know the answer to that question. The former NFL tight end does have two podcasts he still runs — “Nightcap” with former NFL receiver Chad Johnson, and “Club Shay Shay.” According to Marchand, Sharpe’s distribution deal with The Volume for the two shows is ending in August. That led to speculation that Sharpe could sign a $100 million deal for his shows, though the loss of the ESPN job and the lawsuit may harm his negotiations.
Sharpe was on ESPN for about a year and a half following his departure from FS1 show “Undisputed,” which he co-hosted with Skip Bayless.
