There were some upsetting allegations surfacing this week regarding former Baltimore Ravens star and current ESPN analyst Shannon Sharpe. Sharpe is a defendant in a Nevada lawsuit seeking in excess of $50 million for alleged sexual abuse and domestic violence.
As a sidebar to it all?
The bosses at ESPN had to decide how they were going to deal with the Sharpe lawsuit. They needed to decide whether to pull him from the show and suspend him pending the outcome of the case, or let him appear on air and defend himself in court.
According to Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports, the Disney-owned network opted to do the latter. Sharpe appeared on Tuesday’s episode of First Take as scheduled.
Per McCarthy’s report, part of the deal was that Sharpe would not defend himself on the show. The show did not make mention of the allegations and Sharpe will merely defend himself with his legal team in a court of law.
“Shannon Sharpe will appear as scheduled on today’s First Take. Sharpe’s not expected to address $50 million rape lawsuit on today’s episode with Stephen A. Smith, ” McCarthy said on social media. “The Pro Football Hall of Famer did not address on Monday’s episodem either.”
Sharpe is going to have to defend via legal measures the action brought by a woman identified only as Jane Doe. She is stating the two had a consensual relationship, which allegedly turned violent and turbulent within the last year.
Sharpe, through his attorneys, has denied all allegations of misconduct. While his lawyer has revealed that the plaintiff was offered $10 million to settler the case, he also = said this is a case of blackmail and he looks forward to vindicating himself in a court of law.
“Mr. Sharpe categorically denies all allegations of coercion or misconduct — especially the gross lie of “rape” — and will not submit to what he sees as an egregious attempt at blackmail,” attorney Lanny J. Davis said in a prepared statement. “He stands firmly by the truth and is prepared to fight these false claims vigorously in court. He looks forward to vindication through due process and a judgment based on facts and the law.”
