Shannon Sharpe Breaks Silence After ESPN Exit & Apologizes to Brother
Shannon Sharpe has spoken publicly for the first time since being fired from ESPN, saying he’s “at peace” with the network’s decision.
Sharpe wished ESPN had waited to announce the news until after the weekend, when his brother Sterling will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
“I asked, ‘Can we wait until Monday?’ I wanted the spotlight to be on my brother and our family,” Sharpe said on his podcast Nightcap.
Sharpe emotionally apologized to his older brother, Sterling, for the timing — but Sterling told him, “You don’t have to apologize. I got you.”
Sterling’s Hall of Fame induction marks history — the Sharpe brothers will be the first siblings ever both honored in Canton, Ohio.
Shannon’s exit from ESPN came shortly after he settled a $50 million lawsuit involving rape and sexual assault allegations filed earlier this year.
He had also faced controversy over a sexually explicit audio clip that was posted to his Instagram Live in 2023, which he initially claimed was a hack.
Despite it all, Sharpe said he truly enjoyed his time at ESPN and holds no ill will: “They did what they had to do, and I’m good with it.”