WATCH THE VIDEO HERE Uncle Shannon is trending, and not for his usual spicy takes on First Take. The 56-year-old NFL Hall of Famer turned viral podcast king is now facing a $50 million civil lawsuit… and things are getting messy fast. According to court docs filed in Nevada (yes, we peeked), a woman using the name “Jane Doe” claims she was sexually assaulted and threatened by Shannon on multiple occasions — the most recent being in January 2025. Her lawyer, Tony Buzbee (yes, the same one from other celeb cases), is calling the suit “serious” and says she’s seeking $50 million in damages. Shannon? He’s calling it a straight-up “shakedown” and says the entire thing is false. In fact, his lawyer said Shannon offered a large settlement just to avoid the mess — not because he did anything wrong. Dramaaa. And here’s where it gets even juicier — Media Take Out has learned that ESPN is temporarily benching Shannon from First Take while they figure things out behind the scenes. Apparently, network execs are less concerned about guilt or innocence right now and more about the “distraction” it’s causing. The ESPN bosses informed key members of the First Take staff this morning, Media Take Out confirmed. All of this comes right as Shannon was reportedly close to signing a new mega deal for his Club Shay Shay podcast empire. And now? That deal might be on pause, or off the table completely. So will he be back on your weekday morning TV? TBD. We’ll keep you posted — but whew, the tea is hot
EXCLUSIVE: Shannon Sharpe Suspended From ESPN!
