Football big Shannon Sharpe said Thursday that he “would temporarily retire” from his duties in ESPN following a trial of $ 50 million accusing him of rape.
The 56 -year -old former, Denver Broncos, said he needed time far from the studios to fight against allegations that he called “false and disruptor”.
“At this stage, I choose to temporarily withdraw from my ESPN functions,” he said in a statement.
The first NFL exhibition match is scheduled for July 31 with the regular season likely to start on Thursday, September 4. He hopes to be back behind the microphone by then.
“I will devote this time to my family, and answer and face these false and disturbing allegations against me,” said Sharpe. “I plan to return to ESPN at the start of the pre-season of the NFL.”
An ESPN representative said Sharpe, a frequent panelist of the program “First Take”, is right to take a break in cable sporting outfit.
“This is a serious situation, and we agree with Shannon’s decision to keep us away,” said ESPN spokesperson.
A woman filed a complaint in Nevada on Sunday, accusing Sharpe of having raped her twice in Las Vegas in October and once again in January, according to the trial.
The woman said that she was 19 years old in 2023 when she met Sharpe for the first time in a gymnasium in Los Angeles, leading to a “rocky relationship” almost two years in which he was often “aggressive” and raped it, according to the County County Clear complaint.
Sharpe denied all allegations.
An applicant’s representative could not be immediately joined to comment on Thursday.
Since the end of his days of play, Sharpe has had a long career in the studio as a football analyst for CBS, Fox Sports and ESPN.
And in recent years, he has launched a popular podcast, “Club Shay Shay”.
If you or someone you know have been sexually assaulted, call the National sexual assault phone at 1-800-656-4673. The Hotline, led by the RAPE, Abuse and Incest National Network (Rainn), can put you in contact with your local rape crisis center. You can also access the online cat service from Rainn to https://www.rainn.org/get-help.
