ESPN is finally cutting ties with commentator Shannon Sharpe, weeks after he settled a $50 million lawsuit accusing him of rape.
The 57-year-old NFL Hall of Famer was let go by the cable sports network on Wednesday, only two weeks after settling his lawsuit, according to The Athletic.
Sharpe stepped away from ESPN in April as the lawsuit became major news.
The Hall of Famer tried to settle the lawsuit with a ten-million-dollar offer in April, but when that settlement was rejected, he announced a hiatus from his ESPN duties.
ESPN said at the time that it agreed that Sharpe was facing serious allegations, and they agreed with his decision to step back.
Still, Sharpe called the lawsuit a “shakedown” and insisted, “I know my family and fans know exactly what this is about. And I’m going to be out there telling you whatever I need to say, just like I always do. I love all you guys.”
But it was also reported that his accuser had a damning sex tape that she had subsequently pledged not to release to the public because it was “key evidence” in the lawsuit against Sharpe.
Now, along with losing an untold amount of cash by settling the lawsuit, Sharpe is also losing his reported $6.5 million per year ESPN salary.
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