Shannon Sharpe is making it crystal clear that he is not involved in the lawsuit that was filed against his former co-hosts at FS1.
First reported by Front Office Sports, Noushin Faraji, a former stylist at Fox Sports, filed a discrimination lawsuit against FOX, FOX Sports, FS1, FS2, Skip Bayless, Joy Taylor, and Charlie Dixon, president of content at Fox Sports. Bayless and Taylor both worked with Sharpe on Undisputed at the network.
Sharpe’s name only appears in the suit when Faraji claims that Bayless accused her of sleeping with the First Take star.
During the latest episode of his YouTube show Nightcap, Sharpe distanced himself from any allegations in the suit.
“That has nothing to do with me. There’s nothing to address. In those 42 pages, it doesn’t mention that Shannon Sharpe did anything. But you all want to get clicks, so you mention me,” he said.
The 42-page suit accuses Skip Bayless of nonconsensual physical and sexual advances. Faraji also alleged that Bayless offered to pay her $1.5 million for a sexual encounter.
“Mr. Bayless made another advance at Ms. Faraji. Ms. Faraji responded: ‘Skip, stop, you have a wife.’ Mr. Bayless responded: ‘Aren’t you Muslim? Doesn’t your dad have three to four wives?’ Ms. Faraji responded that her father was dead, and when Mr. Bayless looked taken aback, she made an excuse to leave,” the suit read.
As for Taylor, the suit alleges she began “insulting Ms. Faraji on a personal and professional level” when they were no longer friends. Faraji, who is of Persian descent, also claims that Taylor mocked the “English” pronunciation of her name. The lawsuit goes on to accuse Taylor of having a sexual relationship with Emmanuel Acho to advance her position at the company. Taylor and Acho formerly co-hosted Speak on the network.
“A few months after meeting Mr. Acho at lunch, Ms. Faraji noticed him in the hallway while at work. Ms. Faraji later asked Ms. Taylor if Mr. Acho also worked at Fox. Ms. Taylor confirmed and explained that she wanted Mr. Acho to eventually recommend her on the show ‘Speak for Yourself.’
The suit also stated that Taylor had a plan if upper management discovered her alleged relationship with Acho.
“Ms. Taylor told her not to worry about it,” the lawsuit continued. “She explained that was also now powerful, and once Mr. Dixon was no longer useful to her, she would follow through on her plan to tell the company that he forced himself on her. She would not allow herself to be forced out by Mr. Dixon like other women talent.”
Sharpe’s name only appears in the suit when Faraji claims that Bayless accused her of sleeping with the First Take co-host.
While he maintains his innocence, Sharpe did throw a shot at Bayless during the episode When he got into a debate with his co-host Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson about the Denver Broncos’ 38-0 Week 18 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. Then Sharpe mocked Bayless by using words from one of their viral rants on Undisputed.
“You gonna let me talk, Ocho?” Sharpe asked. “It’s my turn!”
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