For the second straight day, the Shannon Sharpe sexual assault lawsuit dominated the sports media headlines. However, nobody could have anticipated the twists and turns that were to come as the scandal escalated into uncharted territory.
It started when
Sharpe’s accuser released audio that alleged to show the
First Take contributor and podcast star making threatening statements. However, soon after
First Take went off the air, Sharpe released what appeared to be scripted comments on his social media page, calling it a “shakedown.” He claimed the audio was manipulated from a longer sex tape and orchestrated by lawyer Tony Buzbee. Sharpe also said that he would be filling a defamation lawsuit against Jane Doe and Buzbee.
But then things took an even stranger turn. Sharpe’s attorney, Lanny Davis, admitted in an afternoon press conference that his client was
willing to settle for $10 million before settlement talks apparently fell apart. The lawsuit now asks for $50 million.
Finally, Sharpe’s co-host Stephen A. Smith
openly questioned his combativeness against the allegations on his podcast. When it came to Sharpe’s future at ESPN, Smith was notably non-committal, saying that any decision would have to come from network executives.
While both sides appear to be ready to continue a nasty public fight regarding this case, even what Sharpe admits to publicly is not a good look for ESPN and Disney. It’s a 56 year old former athlete who admits to a sexual relationship with an OnlyFans model, who claims she was just 19 when it started. There’s also the graphic sexual texts that Sharpe released himself and the fact that he took the extraordinary step of naming his accuser. Additionally, the issue of the multi-million dollar settlement offer must be reconciled with Sharpe’s public claims of defamation and a shakedown.
Shannon Sharpe has been on a meteoric rise in the industry ever since he left Skip Bayless and joined
First Take. His podcast deal could be worth nine figures. From his television work, including interviews with Katt Williams and Kamala Harris, he is now one of the most influential voices in the media.
However, at some point, ESPN and Disney will likely decide that this unfortunate situation is no longer worth it. And if this story continues at this pace with these shocking revelations, we may reach that point sooner rather than later.