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After being accused of sexual assault and battery, and engaging in the intentional infliction of emotional distress in a civil lawsuit, Shannon Sharpe has temporarily stepped aside from his position at ESPN until the start of NFL preseason later this summer.
Sharpe has strongly denied the allegations, saying "the relationship in question was 100% consensual." After announcing that he would step aside from his role at ESPN, Sharpe said in a statement: "I will be devoting this time to my family, and responding and dealing with these false and disruptive allegations set against me."
Following the current lawsuit, a report emerged of a previous lawsuit Sharpe faced in 2023 from an alleged sexual assault in 2010. Mitchell Schuster, Sharpe's legal counsel, released a lengthy statement in response to the allegations. Here is a condensed version:
"It should be of no surprise that when someone famous is in the news, all sorts of people crawl out of the woodwork to share their connection to that person in an attempt to profit from that alleged relationship. In many cases those stories or accusations are nothing more than old news, fanciful exaggerations, or sometimes blatant misrepresentations of fact. ...
"Bottom line, Shannon has done nothing wrong and intends to fight back against these malicious lies not with manufactured defenses or imaginary stories but with documentary proof and real evidence. He intends to pursue claims against [the latest accuser] and all who have assisted her with the dissemination of her fabricated story. Shannon looks forward to his day in court where he can hold [the current accuser] and all who are working in concert with her accountable for the opportunists that they are.
"For the avoidance of any doubt, Shannon Sharpe was not terminated by ESPN, but he has elected to step away for a temporary period of time from his duties so that he can focus on his family and the frivolous claim filed against him. ESPN agreed with his decision and Shannon plans to return to his role at ESPN for the NFL season."
The plaintiff is seeking $50 million in the lawsuit against Sharpe.
This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: NFL news: Shannon Sharpe steps aside from ESPN role until the fall
Continue reading...
Sharpe has strongly denied the allegations, saying "the relationship in question was 100% consensual." After announcing that he would step aside from his role at ESPN, Sharpe said in a statement: "I will be devoting this time to my family, and responding and dealing with these false and disruptive allegations set against me."
Following the current lawsuit, a report emerged of a previous lawsuit Sharpe faced in 2023 from an alleged sexual assault in 2010. Mitchell Schuster, Sharpe's legal counsel, released a lengthy statement in response to the allegations. Here is a condensed version:
"It should be of no surprise that when someone famous is in the news, all sorts of people crawl out of the woodwork to share their connection to that person in an attempt to profit from that alleged relationship. In many cases those stories or accusations are nothing more than old news, fanciful exaggerations, or sometimes blatant misrepresentations of fact. ...
"Bottom line, Shannon has done nothing wrong and intends to fight back against these malicious lies not with manufactured defenses or imaginary stories but with documentary proof and real evidence. He intends to pursue claims against [the latest accuser] and all who have assisted her with the dissemination of her fabricated story. Shannon looks forward to his day in court where he can hold [the current accuser] and all who are working in concert with her accountable for the opportunists that they are.
"For the avoidance of any doubt, Shannon Sharpe was not terminated by ESPN, but he has elected to step away for a temporary period of time from his duties so that he can focus on his family and the frivolous claim filed against him. ESPN agreed with his decision and Shannon plans to return to his role at ESPN for the NFL season."
The plaintiff is seeking $50 million in the lawsuit against Sharpe.
This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: NFL news: Shannon Sharpe steps aside from ESPN role until the fall
Continue reading...
