Several misconduct allegations against Shannon Sharpe are resurfacing after a bombshell $50 million lawsuit from an anonymous woman. But in regards to these new accusations, many fans expressed shock when his lawyer revealed they offered her $10 million to settle.
Now, according to TMZ Sports, the football icon's legal team issued a statement on this offer. They stated that they made this move to shield "intimate details" from the public consciousness. Most importantly, they clarified that this offer was not an admission of wrongdoing. Shannon Sharpe and his attorneys denied any and all allegations against him.
More specifically, Mitchell Schuster – Sharpe's litigation counsel – explained how his client was "willing to pay her a substantial amount of money to avoid the intimate details of his personal life from being exposed, as many high-profile individuals often do when they are being threatened." The defense in this case is confident the evidence will supposed clear his name and labeled this lawsuit as a "shakedown."
Did ESPN Fire Shannon Sharpe?
Back to the resurfaced allegations against Shannon Sharpe, one of them is an alleged September 2010 sexual assault of a woman named Michele Bundy Evans. His team alleged these accusations resurfaced in order to "create a fabricated narrative."
"This is exactly what is happening to Shannon Sharpe and the resurrection of the case involving Michele Evans is a perfect example," the legal team reportedly claimed. "Sadly, Ms. Evans became obsessed with Shannon and decided to manufacture a claim against him. When she could not find a lawyer to pursue her outrageous story, she filed a civil complaint on her own that is completely devoid of merit. [...] Bottom line, Shannon has done nothing wrong and intends to fight back against these malicious lies not with manufactured defenses or imaginary stories but with documentary proof and real evidence." The sports commentator's team claims his current accuser is "following in Ms. Evans' footsteps" in her pursuit.
As for the impact this had on his career, Shannon Sharpe is no longer with ESPN. However, he clarified this is a temporary exit to focus on the legal matters at hand, not a full dismissal from the company.
