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On Saturday, May 3, comedian and actress Mo'Nique reacted to Shannon Sharpe's current legal troubles as she opened for Katt Williams' ongoing Heaven on Earth tour in Columbia's Colonial Life Arena. Remarking how she had warned the podcaster about it in the past, Mo'Nique said:
"Yes I told that ni**a Shannon Sharpe leave that white b***hes alone!"
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Williams' tour, which kicked off in Savannah last week, will conclude in Utah six months later, on November 29, 2025. Meanwhile, Sharpe's break from ESPN's morning show, First Take, appears to be in jeopardy, with "no guarantee" of return, as per Outkick.
As reported by Outkick on May 2, 2025, sports radio host Stephen A. Smith said about Shannon during a recent appearance on the BigBoyTV podcast:
"He is emphatic that he is innocent of those things. But the court of public opinion is what the Disneys of the world and others concern themselves with. That's a more immediate issue. And unfortunately, that has worked against him at this particular moment of time."
While Smith maintained that he believed in Shannon Sharpe's innocence, he also clarified that ESPN is under pressure to handle the matter with caution, given the severity of the allegations the sportscaster faces.
The network is currently in its review process—weighing legal risks, public perception, and potential fallout of Sharpe's return—and has not yet committed to bringing him back. Meanwhile, potential replacements for the former NFL player are being considered at ESPN, with Jason Kelce being a frontrunner.
Shannon Sharpe announced his temporary break from ESPN duties nearly two weeks ago, on April 25, claiming that he would be returning to First Take at "the start of the NFL preseason."
The career challenges Sharpe currently faces are an outcome of a $50 million s*xual assault lawsuit filed against him in Nevada last month. Gabriella Zuniga—an OnlyFans model—named him as a defendant in her lawsuit, accusing him of r*pe and emotional distress from an incident that took place in 2024.
The video Shannon Sharpe talked about in his statement will not be released, says Tony Buzbee
Tony Buzbee, the attorney representing Gabriella Zuniga in her lawsuit against Shannon Sharpe, spoke to TMZ Sports about a "key evidence" video that will be revealed in the trial. As reported by TMZ on April 29, Buzbee said about the video:
"The only reason you know about the existence of a video recording is that Mr. Sharpe specifically referenced it in his bullsh*t statement. The contents of the video was shared during the mediation process with Sharpe’s attorneys. Again, Sharpe and his team disclosed that, not us."
The attorney continued:
"Sharpe himself was offered on more than one occasion to view it himself. He declined. We've never made any claims or threats about it and won't do so."
He then concluded that the video was "key evidence" in the case and would be treated as such.
The video was first referenced by Sharpe in a video statement he issued on Instagram two days after the lawsuit was filed (on April 22). He also implored Buzbee to release the video to the public in its original, unedited state.
