Chad ‘Ochocinco’ Johnson Says He’s ‘Not Going Nowhere’ After Shannon Sharpe’s Sexual Assault Lawsuit Cost Him $100 Million Deal

Chad Ochocinco, Shannon Sharpe

Chad ‘Ochocinco’ Johnson Says He’s ‘Not Going Nowhere’ After Shannon Sharpe’s Sexual Assault Lawsuit Cost Him $100 Million Deal

Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson is making it clear he never thought twice about standing by Shannon Sharpe after the Hall of Fame tight end was accused of sexual assault and saw a potential $100 million podcast deal fall apart. Johnson told Front Office Sports it was “an easy decision” to remain Sharpe’s Nightcap co-host even as a woman’s lawsuit against Sharpe led to major fallout and the show’s podcast network no longer commanding an eight-figure deal. The show is still regularly churning out episodes on YouTube.

The article notes Sharpe was on the cusp of landing a $100 million deal for his podcast empire before it “came crashing down” when the sexual assault lawsuit was filed. In the aftermath, the Hall of Famer lost his national TV gig, with ESPN cutting bait and ending his appearances on First Take. Sharpe later settled the lawsuit with his accuser in July and has not returned to ESPN since the lawsuit was filed last April, even as he told FOS at the Super Bowl that he’s open to coming back now that the case has been resolved.

Ochocinco says loyalty, not money, drove his decision to stay. “It was an easy decision for me. We all make mistakes in life, regardless of how it looks. I’ve made mistakes in life,” he said, adding, “Who the hell am I to say, ‘Oh my goodness, Shannon messed up, you know what, I’m gonna kick rocks’ or, ‘Oh man, he messed up the money.’ No! That’s not what loyalty is. I agreed to do a show with Shannon Sharpe, come hell or high or thick water.” Johnson even compared the commitment to marriage vows, saying, “When you get married they say, ‘Till death do you part.’ When he asked me to do that show, I’m going to stick to my guns and do that show, whether he messes up or not.”

The former Bengals star receiver stressed he’s “built different” and doesn’t see himself as a “fair-weather” type who disappears when things get messy. “I’m not one of those fair-weather people that when things are going good, ‘Okay I’m here’ but when things are going bad, ‘Fuck this I’m out.’ No, I told you I’m here through the good and the bad,” Johnson explained. He also made it clear he doesn’t condone what happened but still refuses to walk away from Sharpe: “Look, I don’t like the fact that it happened. Obviously, I don’t condone it. But as far as me sticking by my cohost, I’m not going nowhere. We all mess up in life. I’ve been there before.”

While the lawsuit damaged Sharpe’s broader media plans, Nightcap remains Johnson’s most prominent media role and continues to pull “tens of thousands” of views on YouTube. Ochocinco credits the show’s “authenticity” and wide-open topics for keeping viewers locked in. “It’s not even the sports that make us great,” he said. “People come for the sports but stay for the stories. We have stories that can’t be told on linear TV. It’s different. That’s what makes it so fun, and it’s unpredictable because there’s no script. We don’t know what we’re going to talk about half the time … Life, kids, marriage, relationships. Nothing’s off limits and that’s what makes it so fun.”

On top of Nightcap, Johnson has added even more to his media plate, recently launching a new soccer podcast called Late Run, produced in partnership with Footballco and OchoCinco Productions. But despite the new venture and Sharpe’s unresolved TV future, Johnson’s message about his podcast partner is the same: after the sexual assault lawsuit, the scrapped near-$100 million deal, and his co-host losing his ESPN spot, Ochocinco says he’s staying by Sharpe’s side on Nightcap — for better or worse.