Mo’Nique’s Brutally Honest Shannon Sharpe Take From 2024 Goes Viral as Former TE’s Relationship With ESPN Comes to a Close

Shannon Sharpe’s 2025 has gone from dominant to disastrous… At the start of the year, Sharpe’s consistent efforts to become one of the loudest voices in sports media paid off. He was nearing an agreement with ESPN on a $100 million deal. But in April, everything changed.

The Hall of Fame tight end found himself at the center of a controversy that not only tarnished his personal image but also ended his tenure at ESPN.

It started as a quiet civil lawsuit filed by OnlyFans model, Gabriella “Gabbi” Zuniga, but quickly spiralled into one of the most talked-about scandals in sports media. Filed in Nevada under the name Jane Doe, the lawsuit accused Sharpe of assault, sexual assault, battery, and emotional distress during a two-year relationship. It sought $50 million in damages.

At first, Sharpe denied the claims as “false and disruptive,” as his legal team attempted to discredit Zuniga by releasing text messages that allegedly showed a pattern of consensual, graphic interactions, framing the relationship as mutually explicit. They even claimed she backed out of a private $10 million settlement deal before filing the suit publicly.

Eventually, no criminal charges were filed, and earlier this month, the case was settled confidentially. Still, the damage was done.

Sharpe’s last appearance on ESPN’s First Take was in April, and now, according to multiple sources, the network has cut ties with the 57-year-old.

While the news hasn’t been formally announced by the media giants, the Broncos legend himself confirmed it on his Nightcap podcast. “Obviously, I’m sure everybody’s heard the news by now that I will not be returning to ESPN,” he said.

And as the fallout continues, an old clip from Club Shay Shay, Sharpe’s own podcast, is making waves online.

In 2024, comedian and actress Mo’Nique sat down with the former TE and offered what now sounds like prophetic advice about his dating life.

“I’m grateful I’m not 56 and trying… You better take your old a*s and get somebody to love you,” Mo’Nique told him. “You don’t need no 26-year-old girl, you don’t need no 36-year-old girl… Take your old a*s and get you an old b*tch out there that can love you old.”

She didn’t stop there. “You trying to hang out with these young b*tches, you can’t do it Shannon, you just can’t do it!”

The comments, half-joking at the time, now strike a different chord. Especially given that Zuniga met Sharpe in 2023 at the age of just 19, more than three decades younger than him.

While Mo’Nique’s blunt critique has resurfaced as a meme, it’s hard to just look at it like that because it is also a glaring cautionary echo of what many now view as a preventable downfall. And most importantly, Mo’Nique saw the storm coming long before the headlines hit.