Shannon Sharpe Makes Career Decision After Being Accused of Rape and Sexual Assault

After being named in a $50 million sexual assault lawsuit, NFL Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe announced he will not be hitting the road this summer.

Sharpe, 56, and his podcast cohost, Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson, were scheduled to begin their eight-city Nightcap NSFW Tour on June 13 in Baltimore. 

“We’ve decided to postpone the Nightcap tour,” Sharpe said on the Friday, May 23, episode of the podcast. “We look forward to seeing you guys in the summer of 2026. It’s going to be even bigger, even better. But Ocho and I have come to the conclusion that this is the best thing as of right now, was to postpone the tour. We look forward to seeing each and every one of you in 2026.”

The tour had dates scheduled throughout June and August in other cities like Philadelphia, Charlotte, Los Angeles and Detroit.

In a $50 million lawsuit filed in Nevada on April 20, Sharpe was accused of committing assault, sexual assault, battery and sexual battery against an unidentified woman. 

In court documents obtained by NBC News, Jane Doe allegedly met Sharpe at a Los Angeles gym when she was 20 years old and he was in his mid-50s. 

According to the woman, the pair had “a rocky consensual relationship” over two years, during which she alleges that Sharpe inflicted intentional emotional distress. Among the allegations, Jane Doe accused Sharpe of sometimes recording their sexual activity without her consent and then showing the footage to others.

She also accused Sharpe of becoming increasingly controlling during the final months of their relationship, including once allegedly telling her, “I will f***ing kill you,” when he noticed she was trying to share her location with friends out of concern.

Sharpe allegedly confronted Jane Doe after she started ignoring his calls, leading to an incident of forcible sex without her consent in October 2024. The woman reported in her court filing that Sharpe allegedly raped her again in January without wearing a condom.

Lanny J. Davis, Sharpe’s attorney, told Us Weekly on April 21 that Jane Doe’s lawsuit is “filled with lies, distortions and misrepresentations — and it will not succeed.” He accused the woman of attempting “a blatant and cynical attempt to shake down Mr. Sharpe for millions of dollars.”

Sharpe denied all of the lawsuit’s accusations, including “the gross lie of ‘rape.’”

“He stands firmly by the truth and is prepared to fight these false claims vigorously in court,” Davis’ statement read. “He looks forward to vindication through due process and a judgment based on the facts and the law.”

Amid the allegations, Sharpe announced a leave of absence from his duties on ESPN’s First Take.

“At this juncture I am electing to step aside temporarily from my ESPN duties,” Sharpe posted via his Instagram Story on April 24. “I will be devoting this time to my family, and responding and dealing with these false and disruptive allegations set against me. I plan to return to ESPN at the start of the NFL preseason.”

He continued, “I sincerely appreciate the overwhelming and ongoing support I have received from my family, friends, fans and colleagues.”