What Is Shannon Sharpe’s Dating History? All About His Past Relationships

Former NFL star turned sports analyst and media personality, Shannon Sharpe, is in the middle of a an absolute firestorm surrounding allegations of rape and abuse, resulting in a $50 million lawsuit. With so much increased focus on his personal life, many are wondering about the details of his previous dating history.

Shannon’s relationship with OnlyFans model Gabriella Zuniga, whom he met and began dating back in 2023 when she was 19, has taken center stage, as the intimate and salacious details of their sex life have been revealed for the world to see as the two are involved in a nasty legal battle.

Despite having multiple relationships, Shannon has never been married, as he has previously stated that during his 14 seasons in the NFL he was married to his career. However, even though he hasn’t taken a walk down the aisle, there have been women who he’s had relationships with.

Shannon was in a prior relationship with Erika Evans, with whom he shares a son named, Kiari. According to ESPN, Erika filed charges against the former Denver Broncos star after a reported altercation in which he allegedly lifted her up against her will and put her out of his Atlanta home. The charges were later dropped.

Shannon also has two daughters, Kayla and Kayley, but he has never revealed the identity of their mothers. His next public relationship was with fitness trainer Katy Kellner, whom he dated for several years, according to Today.

In 2017, Shannon publicly shared his interest in Eddie Murphy’s ex-wife, Nicole Murphy, after the two were photographed with their arms around each other. However, in July 2024, Nicole finally addressed the rumors the two dated during an appearance on the Comedy Hype podcast. "Funny, I ran into Shannon for the first time, I was going to a spin class and it turned out he was there taking the class, too. Then we took a picture, and of course he showed the picture the next day on his show," she said.

Following the news that Shannon and his legal team offered to pay Gabriella $10 million to settle her lawsuit after vehemently denying any wrongdoing by Shannon, it was announced that he would no longer be on ESPN’s First Take for the foreseeable future, according to Deadline.

In a post on social media, Shannon confirmed the news, saying that he was “electing to temporarily step aside from my ESPN duties.” ESPN directly addressed the matter via a statement to Deadline, saying “This is a serious situation, and we agree with Shannon’s decision to step away.”

"My statement is found here and this is the truth. The relationship in question was 100 percent consensual," Shannon’s message continued. “I will be devoting my time to my family, and responding and dealing with these false and disruptive allegations set against me. I plan to return to ESPN at the start of the NFL preseason. I sincerely appreciate the overwhelming and ongoing support I have received from my family, friends, and colleagues."