After days of speculations, ESPN has now parted ways with Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe after he settled in the $50 million lawsuit from OnlyFans model Gabriella Zuniga. A source from the Associated Press has confirmed on Wednesday that Sharpe will not be returning to ESPN less than two weeks after the lawsuit was resolved.
Sharpe has not been featured in any ESPN programming since the lawsuit dropped in April. Sharpe was sued in a Nevada court over s*xual assault allegations and sought $50 million in damages and was settled less than two weeks ago, though no details on that settlement have been made public yet.
The football legend signed a multiyear contract with ESPNB in 2024 and has been a regular on several shows, soon becoming a social media star himself. However, the network has now moved on from Sharpe, who became a social media darling from his time as a panelist and host on various ESPN shows.
It is still not over for the Hall of Fame tight end, as he still has two podcasts he does online, including “Club Shay Shay” and “Nightcap.” However, him settling on the s*xual assault lawsuit may have also kept him off broadcast TV for the foreseeable future.
As for the $50 million lawsuit he faced, Zuniga accused Sharpe of alleged r*pe, threats, and coercion during the course of their two-year relationship. This led to many criticisms aimed towards ESPN for continuing to feature an alleged s*xual offender in their programming. The football great continued to deny the allegations, saying that their relationship was “100% consensual” and that the lawsuit was just “false and disruptive.”
Gabriella Zuniga Lawsuit vs. Shannon Sharpe Was Settled and Dismissed
As for what happened in the lawsuit, while most of the details in the settlement was not revealed, the negotiations were reportedly “protracted and respectful”, with both sides reaching an agreement, though that agreement was not revealed as well.
“After protracted and respectful negotiations, I’m pleased to announce that we have reached a mutually agreed upon resolution. All matters have now been addressed satisfactorily, and the matter is closed. The lawsuit will thus be dismissed with prejudice,” said attorney Tony Buzzbee, who represented Zuniga.
After the agreement was reached, the complaint was dismissed with prejudice. There was also a judicial action that was made that prevents the plaintiff from ever refiling the case ever again. Soon after, ESPN parted ways with Sharpe.
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