As Shannon Sharpe continues to battle speculation from the public over his $50 million civil lawsuit alleging that he sexually abused his former girlfriend, he has announced that he's temporarily stepping away from his job at ESPN. 

In a statement posted on Thursday (April 23), Shannon wrote, "'My statement is found here and this is the truth. The relationship in question was 100% consensual. At this juncture I am electing to step aside temporarily from my ESPN duties. I will be devoting this time to my family, and responding and dealing with these false and disruptive allegations set against me. I plan to retire to ESPN at the start of the NFL preseason." 

He added, "I sincerely appreciate the overwhelming and ongoing support I have received from my family, fans, friends, and colleagues."

ESPN said in a statement quoted by The Athletic: 'This is a serious situation, and we agree with Shannon's decision to step away.'

This comes as Jane Doe's lawyer, Tony Buzbee, has released damaging audio between Shannon and his client, where the sports analyst told her that he wanted to "choke" her. Shannon and his legal team have maintained that they had a consensual relationship.

Source: Instagram