Shannon Sharpe’s life is in serious turmoil. OnlyFans model Gabrielle Zuniga has filed a $50 million s**ual assault lawsuit against the NFL Hall of Famer and media personality. And, although the courts have yet to reach a verdict, the serious nature of the allegations threatens to dismantle everything Sharpe has built. That includes his decorated NFL career and his successful post-retirement media presence.
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In the wake of the lawsuit, Sharpe has already stepped away from his regular appearances on First Take alongside Stephen A. Smith. But the damage may not stop there. He now stands to lose a reported $100 million podcast deal that was in the works. Sharpe had been in discussions to sign the groundbreaking deal after the expiration of his previous contract with Colin Cowherd’s The Volume podcast network, which he joined in 2023.
The new deal will encompass his entire Shay Shay Media empire, including Club Shay Shay, Nightcap with Chad Johnson, Club 520 Podcast, The Bubba Dub Show, and Humble Baddies. If the deal is scrapped, it would indeed be a substantial setback. And the lawsuit verdict looms large, too. If it goes against Sharpe, the big question is, has he earned enough over the years to absorb a $50 million hit?
Surprisingly, Sharpe has done quite well for himself, especially considering he played during an era when NFL salaries weren’t nearly as lucrative as they are today.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, he currently has an estimated net worth of $30 million. Sharpe earned around $22.5 million during his NFL career. The largest single-year paycheck he ever received came from the Baltimore Ravens — $5 million as part of a four-year, $13.8 million contract.
Had he played in today’s NFL, he could’ve easily earned upwards of $15 million a year. Even so, his current net worth remains impressive.
At present, he brings in about $10 million annually. Sharpe also generates substantial income through his podcasts, brand endorsements, and media ventures, and has his own Luxury Cognac brand — Le Portier Shay.
Still, Sharpe’s net worth trails that of his friend and First Take co-host, Stephen A. Smith, by about $15 million. Smith, a longtime fixture in sports media, reportedly has a net worth of $45 million. He recently made headlines by signing a five-year, $100 million deal, becoming one of the highest-paid analysts in the business, second only to Tom Brady.
That said, even if the verdict goes against Sharpe, the final award may fall well short of the $50 million being sought.
Civil cases involving s**ual assault are notoriously difficult to prove, particularly when it becomes difficult to distinguish between consensual activity and alleged misconduct. There is also a possibility that Sharpe may not be held liable at all, or that he could walk away without paying a cent.
