ESPN football analyst Shannon Sharpe will not return to the cable sports network, a source familiar with the situation told NBC News on Wednesday.
Sharpe, a Hall of Fame former player, settled a lawsuit this month that accused him of sexual assault, according to the plaintiff’s attorney.
He had stepped aside from ESPN in April after a woman filed the lawsuit in Nevada. The suit accused him of raping the woman twice in Las Vegas in October and once more in January.
A representative and an attorney for Sharpe did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Tony Buzbee, the woman’s attorney, said in a statement on July 18 that the civil suit had been settled.
“Both sides acknowledge a long-term consensual and tumultuous relationship,” Buzbee said. “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.”
Shannon Sharpe on ESPN First Take at Clark Atlanta University on Nov. 8.Paras Griffin / Getty Images file
In a statement after the suit was filed, an attorney for Sharpe said he and the woman had a relationship that was “consensual and sexual in nature.”
The attorney, Lanny Davis, said in April that the suit was “filled with lies, distortions, and misrepresentations” and that it was an “attempt at blackmail.”
After he stepped away, Sharpe, a former Denver Broncos tight end, vowed to be back on ESPN by the time pro football season started again.
The first exhibition game is set for Thursday, when the Los Angeles Chargers and the Detroit Lions play in the annual Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio.
The regular season starts Sept. 4, when the Dallas Cowboys pay a visit to the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.
Lilia Wood
