Sports Broadcaster, Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe to temporarily step away from ESPN

(CNN ) — Shannon Sharpe plans to temporarily step away from his role on ESPN after being sued for sexual assault and battery.
The Pro Football Hall-of-Famer denies the allegations in the lawsuit filed sunday by an anonymous woman.

In the suit, a “Jane Doe” accuses the 56-year-old of a violent sexual assault and rape in October of last year, and again in January of this year.
His legal team says the lawsuit is an attempt to “shake down” the popular podcaster for millions of dollars.
Sharpe says he’ll devote time to his family until he returns to ESPN at the start of the NFL preseason.