The various accusations leveled against Shannon Sharpe continue to pile up as the week comes to a close. Sharpe is being sued by his former girlfriend for $50 million for alleged sexual abuse amid their two-year relationship, as we previously reported, and since then it’s been a bit of a nonstop news cycle surrounding the “Club Shay Shay” host.
There’s so much to parse through in Sharpe’s current messes, with new news dropping seemingly every few hours regarding his legal and employment statuses. Lucky for you, we’re here to breaking down everything that’s happening so far as we try to figure out if Sharpe is on the road to cancellation, or if he will come out the other side of this.
Two Other Assault Allegations Come to Light
Amid the backlash and cultural conversation surrounding Sharpe, another piece of information has come to our attention, via Page Six. According to the outlet, this is not the first ex to accuse Sharpe of sexual assault.
The outlet details that in late 2023 an ex by the name of Michele Bundy Evans filed a lawsuit against Sharpe for “defamation, libel and slander after previously accusing him of sexual assault.” Evans claims that in 2010 that he assaulted her “after they got into an argument about his alleged infidelity,” per court documents obtained by the outlet.
The documents detail that he allegedly “proceeded to forcefully subdue [her], compelling [her] to [her] knees and subsequently engaging in non-consensual oral penetration.” She alleged that she was “consumed by fear” after the actions and that he eventually maneuvered her onto the bed and “achieved non-consensual vaginal penetration, all the while proclaiming his intent to ‘make it so no other man would want [her].’”
Evans also claimed that Sharpe threatened to ruin her reputation and use “everyone” she knew to “destroy her” if she revealed details of the incident.
Sharpe’s representation sent a statement to Page Six denying the allegations from Evans, saying, “Michele Evans’ claims are ridiculous and completely without merit,” while adding that “Shannon has had no contact with her for many years.”
Another accusation was brought to the surface in the wake of the lawsuit as well. One year before this suit, Sharpe allegedly physically assaulted a female production assistant at Fox Sports “during his time co-hosting the ‘Undisputed’ talk show between 2016 and 2023.” While no lawsuit was filed, Sharpe and Fox allegedly settled with the accuser for several hundred thousand dollars.
As all of this is still coming out in real time, it leaves the question of the overall impact of these allegations on Sharpe’s career and legacy up in the air. Time, as it always does, will tell.
Sharpe is Out at ESPN (For Now)
On Thursday (April 24) evening, Sharpe made a major announcement regarding his role at ESPN. Sharpe took to social media with a statement regarding his decision to “step away” from his responsibilities at the sports network, including being a frequent panelist on the show “First Take,” per NBC News.
The statement reads, “At this juncture, I am electing to step aside temporarily from my ESPN duties.”
He continued to explain that he plans on devoting this time to his family, “and responding and dealing with these false and disruptive allegations,” set against him. “I plan to return to ESPN at the start of the NFL preseason.” The NFL season is set to kick off this September.
An ESPN spokesperson also shared a statement supporting Sharpe’s decision. “This is a serious situation, and we agree with Shannon’s decision to step away,” the statement reads. While nothing about the verbiage of either statement confirms a permanent departure, his return certainly feels up in the air.
Various Texts Hit the Internet
Beyond the step back from his role on ESPN, the entire situation has gotten trickier for Sharpe has aspects of his previous relationship have become privy tp his fanbase and general audiences. While he continues to mount his defense, more and more has come to light regarding his behavior and the nature of his two-year relationship, specifically in texts that allegedly reveal him to be engaging in race play with his ex.
As we reported, social media has been debating all of this, with many expressing their disappointment in his alleged involvement in this sexual practice with roots in the history of slavery. The conversation surrounding Sharpe has gone far beyond just whether or not he will continue at ESPN and beyond, but if his loyal audience will follow him as this startling information has been revealed.
Will He Survive it All...?
It’s too early to know for sure how Sharpe’s career will survive through all of this...but social media certainly has its own (impassioned) ideas on how it should all go down.