Over two months on from a whirlwind of headlines regarding sexual assault allegations against ESPN star Shannon Sharpe, the story has gone quiet.
Sharpe took a leave of absence from ESPN in April, suggesting he would be back for the NFL preseason, presumably after the lawsuit brought by his accuser had been addressed. Well, the NFL preseason begins this month with the Hall of Fame game, and we still know little about the former tight end’s future as a media figure.
According to a report by Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, Sharpe has yet to file a response to the lawsuit in Nevada court. Florio, a former attorney, suggests that responses are typically due within 30 days of a lawsuit being filed, though extensions are often granted as courtesy among lawyers. But so far, Sharpe’s legal team has been crickets in court, despite a media blitz immediately following the allegations going public.
Per Florio, “A hearing on three different motions to associate counsel is set for July 9, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. local time. The hearing originally had been set for June 30.”
Sharpe’s lawyer, Lanny Davis, stated in a press conference that Sharpe would file a counterclaim against his accuser. That, along with the formal response, has also not yet happened.
In the immediate aftermath of the case going public, it was revealed that Sharpe had offered his accuser at least $10 million to settle the case before it was filed. Davis later said that, while acknowledging the previous settlement offer, Sharpe would no longer be seeking a settlement and would instead plan on taking the lawsuit to trial.
Should Sharpe wish to return to ESPN on his stated timeline, it would appear something needs to break to put this case behind him. Some in the media, specifically Dan Le Batard, believe Sharpe’s days at ESPN are over.
Host of the popular Nightcap podcast, Sharpe has other platforms should his time at the Worldwide Leader be up. Even after he announced his hiatus from ESPN, Sharpe hosted a live NFL Draft show for his podcast.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.