Shannon Sharpe breaks silence after federal judge dismisses Brett Favre’s defamation lawsuit
In February, Brett Favre sued Shannon Sharpe, along with Pat McAfee and Mississippi State Auditor Shad White for defamation.
That was in relation to his indictment for misappropriating state funds to get an athletics facility built at his alma mater of Southern Mississippi.
The tight end had said in September 2022 on Undisputed, leading to the complaint:
“So if that is the poorest state, Brett Favre is taking from the underserved. You made a hundred plus million dollars in the NFL, and to talk about, well, [Favre] didn’t know.
"This is what Brett Favre texted: ‘If you were to pay me, is there any way the media can find out where it came from and how much?’ He stole money from people that really needed that money.”
The former All-Pro and Pro Bowl punter also joined in, calling Favre a "thief" on his eponymous show.
Brett Favre's lawsuit against Shannon Sharpe dismissed; Hall of Fame tight end responds
In May, Favre purportedly settled with McAfee in May, with the ex-Indianapolis Colt addressing the issue on his eponymous show:
"My statements expressed in comedic style were based solely on public information and allegations .I would much rather talk about sports than about lawsuits, so I'm glad we have all of this behind us."
The legendary quarterback would issue his own statement on his X/Twitter account:
However, the dispute with Sharpe would not end until Monday, when his lawsuit was dismissed.
The former Denver Bronco and Baltimore Raven responded on X:
Statement on the dismissal of Brett Favre's lawsuit
Judge Keith Starrett wrote in his 12-page opinion explaining why he was dismissing Brett Favre's lawsuit against Shannon Sharpe:
“No reasonable person listening to the broadcast would think that Favre actually went into the homes of poor people and took their money—that he committed the crime of theft/larceny against any particular poor person in Mississippi.
“Sharpe’s comments were made against the backdrop of longstanding media coverage of Favre’s role in the welfare scandal and the state’s lawsuit against Favre. Listeners would have recognized Sharpe’s statements as rhetorical hyperbole.”
A representative for the Green Bay Packers legend later told ESPN:
"We respectfully disagree with the court's decision. Mr. Sharpe's statements were unquestionably false and defamatory. We are considering our options."
Favre's legal battle with Shad White is still ongoing as of this writing.