New claims say Shannon Sharpe choked a female FS1 employee during his Undisputed tenure, as he simultaneously fights a $50M rape lawsuit and denies all wrongdoing.
Unc has 99 problems and, well, here’s another one.
Shannon Sharpe‘s career is being torn apart. He’s already under the spotlight due to a $50 million r#pe lawsuit! Now, he has a new explosive new allegation! He allegedly choked a female production assistant during his time at FS1’s Undisputed. Whoa!
Two sources with knowledge of the incident told Front Office Sports that while Sharpe was cohosting Undisputed between 2016 and 2023, a serious workplace altercation occurred in which he allegedly put his hands on a female colleague in a choking motion. The sources say the matter never saw a courtroom but was quietly settled for several hundred thousand dollars. No formal charges or lawsuits were ever filed.
Sharpe’s camp quickly responded with a deflection, claiming, “There was no incident of choking involving Shannon on the FS1 set. On one occasion, he and a few colleagues were involved in some light physical interaction in a playful context.” Fox Sports chose not to comment, maintaining a firm “no response” stance when contacted.
This newly surfaced claim, whether “playful” or not, drops into a highly charged moment for Sharpe, who’s already under legal pressure in a Nevada civil case where a woman accuses him of rape during a rocky relationship that began when she was 19. That woman is represented by Tony Buzbee. This lawyer is best known for suing Jay-Z. All of this lines up because he recently leaked audio of Sharpe threatening to choke the plaintiff.
We’re putting this in the rumors, but it would fit right in the news very nicely based on the charges. I think we’re trying to give Unc the benefit of the doubt even thought it looks pretty bad.
Sharpe’s lawyer, Lanny Davis, didn’t deny the “choking” audio was real, but said it was taken out of context and was part of consensual “role-play” during the relationship. “It is our opinion, this is a classic case of blackmail,” Davis stated, revealing Sharpe offered up to $10 million to settle before the lawsuit was filed. Interesting.
There is more.
A decade ago, Sharpe was also forced to step away from CBS’s NFL Today after a sexual assault accusation. He did return after the restraining order was dismissed. All of this will flow into the perception and the court of public opinion.
Facing renewed scrutiny and calls for accountability, Sharpe announced he’s “electing to step aside temporarily” from ESPN duties, vowing to return by the start of the NFL preseason. ESPN echoed the seriousness, saying, “This is a serious situation, and we agree with Shannon’s decision to step away.”
Is a temporary setback? Or is Unc’s career unraveling in real time?
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