Stephen A. Smith has made his Shannon Sharpe intentions clear to ESPN

Nypost · May 12, 2026 · 275 words · By Justin Tasch

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What to know about Stephen A. Smith has made his Shannon Sharpe intentions clear to ESPN

Smith isn’t being shy about his desire for Shannon Sharpe to return to “First Take.” The Pro Football Hall of Famer, who joined the debate show in 2023 upon leaving FS1’s “Undisputed” after friction with Skip Bayless, was let go by ESPN last summer after…

Claims checked 11

Techniques found 0

Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center83%

Right17%

6 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Why it matters

The company knows I want him back,” Smith said of Sharpe on the “Out the Mud” podcast, per Awful Announcing.

Common ground

“Now, y’all going to do what y’all got to do because I’m the executive producer, but I’m not an executive VP of the company.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

Follow-up questions

What concrete event or decision sits underneath the headline: Stephen A. Smith has made his Shannon Sharpe intentions clear to ESPN?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that was let go by ESPN last summer after settling a $50 million lawsuit in which the 57-year-old was accused of rape?
What should readers watch for in the next update to know whether the story is changing?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/05/12/sports/stephen-a-smith-has-made-his-shannon-sharpe…

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 11 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 5

verified Verified By Reference 3

help Insufficient Evidence 2

schedule Pending 1

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Claim 1: “was let go by ESPN last summer after settling a $50 million lawsuit in which the 57-year-old was accused of rape.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent web search results report that Shannon Sharpe faced a $50 million lawsuit involving sexual assault/rape allegations and that he left ESPN following a settlement.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Sterling Sharpe (born April 6, 1965) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college footb…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sterling_Sharpe

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Shannon Sharpe (born June 26, 1968) is an American former professional football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons, primarily with the Denver Broncos. He is cons…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shannon_Sharpe

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Skip Bayless (born John Edward Bayless II; born December 4, 1951) is an American sports columnist, commentator, and television personality. He is well-known for his work as a commentator on the ESPN2 …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skip_Bayless

+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 2: “Sharpe continues to host his “Club Shay Shay” interview podcast, along with the “Nightcap” show with Chad Ochocinco.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 3: “Most of the lawsuit was resolved in September.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided or found regarding the resolution of the lawsuit in September.

verified

Claim 4: “The Pro Football Hall of Famer, who joined the debate show in 2023 upon leaving FS1’s “Undisputed” after friction with Skip Bayless”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia confirms Shannon Sharpe is a Pro Football Hall of Famer and that 'Undisputed' was a Fox Sports 1 show that ended in August 2024. While the specific 'friction' is a common narrative, the professional transition is supported by the show's timeline and Sharpe's status.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Undisputed is an American sports talk show program broadcast by Fox Sports 1 from September 6, 2016, to August 2, 2024. Originally titled Skip and Shannon: Undisputed, episodes aired live Monday throu…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Undisputed_(TV_series)

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 5: “Bayless himself was accused in a lawsuit by former Fox Sports hairstylist Noushin Faraji of offering her $1.5 million for sex.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent web search results confirm that Noushin Faraji filed a lawsuit accusing Skip Bayless of offering her $1.5 million for sex.

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web search NEUTRAL — Faraji said she was fired in 2024 based on “fabricated” reasons. The lawsuit said she initially remained quiet about her treatment at Fox, believing she could be in danger if she went public. The suit…
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/01/06/us/fox-sports-skip-bayles…

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web search NEUTRAL — In the 42-page suit, she alleged that Bayless propositioned her for sex multiple times, including offering her $1.5 million to do so after she shared a cancer scare she experienced with him in hopes, …
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6042666/2025/01/07/fox-spor…

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web search NEUTRAL — Sports media personality Skip Bayless has been accused of repeatedly harassing a former Fox Sports hairstylist, allegedly offering her $1.5 million to have sex with him. In a lawsuit filed on Friday, …
https://www.aol.com/entertainment/fox-sports-hairstylist-cla…

help

Claim 6: “Awful Announcing reported last week that a Sharpe return to “First Take” is currently “not under consideration.””

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided or found regarding an Awful Announcing report about Sharpe's return not being under consideration.

verified

Claim 7: ““I’m always going to want him back. The company knows I want him back,” Smith said of Sharpe on the “Out the Mud” podcast, per Awful Announcing.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The provided evidence for this claim contains irrelevant results about the name 'Stephen', a movie, and Stephen Colbert, but no mention of the 'Out the Mud' podcast or the specific quote regarding Shannon Sharpe.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of musicians who have played rockabilly. For a list of psychobilly musicians, see list of psychobilly bands.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_rockabilly_musicians

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Michael Corbett Shannon (born August 7, 1974) is an American actor. Known for his forceful and intense style of acting, he has twice received nominations for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Acto…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Shannon

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Stephen Tyrone Colbert ( kohl-BAIR; born May 13, 1964) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is best known for hosting the Comedy Central new…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Colbert

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 8: “Bayless, who starred on “First Take” with Smith before leaving for FS1, has since left Fox Sports”

CORROBORATED

A cross-reference from Nypost and Wikipedia confirm Bayless worked with Smith on First Take before departing for Fox Sports. The claim that he has 'since left Fox Sports' is supported by the context of the 'Undisputed' series ending in August 2024.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Joy Allison Taylor (born January 17, 1987) is an American television host and sports commentator. She most recently worked for Fox Sports 1 (FS1) and co-hosted Speak with Keyshawn Johnson and Paul Pie…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joy_Taylor

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+ 4 more evidence sources

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Claim 9: “the 74-year-old reunited with Smith on the ESPN show Friday.”

CORROBORATED

Two independent web search results explicitly state that Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith reunited on 'First Take' on a Friday.

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web search NEUTRAL — Skip Bayless (born John Edward Bayless II; born December 4, 1951) is an American sports columnist, commentator, and television personality. He is well-known for his work as a commentator on the ESPN2 …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skip_Bayless

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web search NEUTRAL — Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith reunited on ESPN’s "First Take" on Friday, marking a highly anticipated show years in the making. The two picked up right where they left off when Bayless departed th…
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2026/05/08/stephen-a-s…

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web search NEUTRAL — Friday saw Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith going at it on First Take for the first time since Bayless’s departure from ESPN a decade ago.
https://awfulannouncing.com/espn/skip-bayless-relationship-s…

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Claim 10: “Sharpe previously denied the allegations.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources explicitly state that Shannon Sharpe denied the allegations, calling them a 'shakedown' and 'false'.

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web search NEUTRAL — Sharpe denied the allegations and said at the time he was the target of a "shakedown" and that the allegations were "false and disruptive". On 18 July, the woman's lawyer, Tony Buzbee – who has also r…
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyv77rn5m0o

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web search NEUTRAL — On Tuesday, Sharpe denied the allegations and said "the encounter in question took place during the day at her invitation." He alleges that Buzbee and "Jane Doe" are attempting to "manipulate the medi…
https://www.aol.com/shannon-sharpe-denies-sexual-assault-203…

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web search NEUTRAL — Will Shannon Sharpe be removed from ESPN? Here's everything you need to know about the $50M lawsuit against him. Things are shaky for Shannon Sharpe, the former NFL star-turned-TV personality, who is …
https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/904913-shannon-sharpe-50m-rape-…

verified

Claim 11: “Smith, 58”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia lists Stephen A. Smith's birth date as October 14, 1967. As of 2024/2025, he is 57 or 58 years old. Infobiosphere specifically lists him as 58.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Jeremiah Smith (born November 29, 2005) is an American college football wide receiver for the Ohio State Buckeyes. As a freshman in 2024, Smith broke the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremiah_Smith_(American_footb…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Joseph Smith Jr. (December 23, 1805 – June 27, 1844) was an American religious and political leader and the founder of Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement. Publishing the Book of Mormon at the…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Smith

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Stephen Anthony Smith (born October 14, 1967), also known as Stephen A., is an American television personality, radio host, sports analyst, and actor. He makes frequent appearances as an NBA analyst f…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_A._Smith

+ 3 more evidence sources

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.