Hall of Fame tight end and media personality Shannon Sharpe has issued a new statement in the aftermath of the lawsuit filed against him on Sunday.
The following email arrived within the past hour:
“My personal statement is found HERE and this is the truth The relationship in question was 100% consensual.
“At this juncture I am electing to step aside temporarily from my ESPN duties.
“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.
“I sincerely appreciate the overwhelming and ongoing support I have received from my family, fans, friends and colleagues.”
Sharpe also tweeted the text of the statement, from what appears to be the screenshot of a text message he received.
Whether Sharpe is given the ability to return to ESPN at the start of the NFL preseason is a different issue. The Tuesday admission by Sharpe’s lawyer, Lanny Davis, that Sharpe offered $10 million to settle the claims before they were filed could prompt ESPN to do a full investigation into the situation.
It’s one of the natural potential consequences of admitting to the offer publicly. A number that large generates attention and invites speculation as to whether he was simply trying to neutralize a blackmail threat or whether the amount that was offered conflicts with his insistence that the relationship was consensual.
The number seems to be much more than an objective estimation of the potential settlement value of the case. The legal fees, which he’ll pay whether he wins or loses, shouldn’t be staggering, It’s a simple case, with few witnesses to be deposed. The trial should be fairly short. The total legal fees shouldn’t be more than $500,000, if that.
Beyond that, the $50 million demand made in the lawsuit is meaningless. In some cases, there will be undeniable financial losses resulting from alleged misconduct. In this case, the numbers have no objective anchor: $10 million for general damages, $10 million for special damages (she’ll have to prove $10 million in out-of-pocket financial losses resulting from Sharpe’s alleged behavior), $10 million for statutory penalties (whatever that means), and $20 million in punitive damages.
Simply put, reasonable minds can conclude that offering $10 million implies awareness of responsibility. Davis has expressed strong disagreement with that characterization. In the court of public opinion, however, the opinions expressed by one side’s lawyer aren’t binding.
And ESPN’s interpretation of the overall verdict rendered by the court of public opinion will be critical to whether it ever allows ESPN to appear again on its platform.
