Report: ESPN punts Shannon Sharpe after lawsuit settlement

Field Level Media|published: 07/30/2025, 3:07pm EDT

Jan 20, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; The hosts of ESPN First Take, Molly Qerim, Stephen A. Smith, Shannon Sharpe and Cam Newton, at the CFP Fan Central at the George World Congress Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

ESPN parted ways with Pro Football Hall of Fame member and media personality Shannon Sharpe, according to multiple reports Wednesday.

Sharpe was last with the network in April when a former girlfriend accused Sharpe of sexual assault and filed a $50 million lawsuit.

The ESPN move comes after the woman's attorney, Tony Buzbee, announced an out-of-court settlement on July 18 without divulging any financial figures while acknowledging a "long-term consensual and tumultuous relationship" between his client and Sharpe, 57.

Sharpe began appearing on ESPN's "First Take" in September 2023. He signed a multi-year contract extension with the company last summer. When he stepped away in April, he called the move temporary and made it clear he intended to return to a role in national sports media.

A different allegation about Sharpe emerged in April. Front Office Sports reported he was accused of choking a female production assistant while working for Fox as the co-host of FS1's "Undisputed."

Per the report, Sharpe was not sued in the case, and he and Fox settled with the woman for several hundred thousand dollars. Sharpe's camp denied that the choking incident happened.

Sharpe played 14 NFL seasons with the Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens, winning three Super Bowl titles.

--Field Level Media