Chad ‘Ochocinco’ Johnson reveals why he stood by Shannon Sharpe despite losing share of $100m fortune

Chad Johnson did not think twice about standing by Shannon Sharpe, even if allegations against the Hall of Fame tight end cost him a share of $100 million.

Just 12 months ago, Sharpe was set to become the latest athlete to sign a mega-money media deal, as his agreement with The Volume podcast network was on the cusp of expiration.

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The three-time Super Bowl champion was not short of suitors for Shay Shay Media, and was expected to make in excess of $100m for his brand.

Johnson, an NFL legend in his own right, had helped generate a considerable audience for the Nightcap podcast and was likely to be handed a piece of the $100m pie.

Negotiations, though, came crashing down when a woman filed a lawsuit in April 2025, accusing Sharpe of sexual assault.

The case, brought by a woman who alleged that the former tight end assaulted her during a nearly two-year relationship, asked for more than $50 million in damages. Sharpe denied the claims.

A settlement was reached in July, and the case was dismissed.

Sharpe was dropped by ESPN that same month, having been taken off air in April. He has not returned to the network’s airwaves since.

Despite the lawsuit against his co-host, and losing out on his own payday as a result, Ochocinco stayed on with Nightcap.

Chad Johnson explains why he stood by Shannon Sharpe

The pair still produce multiple episodes a week, which air live on YouTube.

Nightcap has just shy of two million followers on the platform, and regularly pulls in more than 100,000 viewers per episode.

Speaking to Front Office Sports, Johnson revealed that sticking by his friend was a no-brainer.

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“It was an easy decision for me,” he said, in an interview earlier this month.

“We all make mistakes in life, regardless of how it looks. I’ve made mistakes in life.

“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.

“When you get married they say, ‘Until 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.”

Johnson went on to suggest that his loyalty meant sticking by Sharpe through ‘the good and the bad’.

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“I’m built different,” he continued.

“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, ‘F*** this, I’m out.’

“No, I told you I’m here through the good and the bad. And the Nightcap product is so good.

“Look, I don’t like the fact that it happened. Obviously, I don’t condone it. But as far as me sticking by my co-host, I’m not going nowhere.

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“We all mess up in life. I’ve been there before.”

Ochocinco then suggested Nightcap has been able to retain its audience due to its ‘authenticity.’

What has Shannon Sharpe said about his ESPN departure?

Despite continuing his own podcasts, Sharpe’s exit from ESPN dominated headlines last summer, and also overshadowed older brother Sterling Sharpe’s Hall of Fame induction.

Speaking about the storm at the time, the former Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens tight end noted his one big regret was the timing of the news.

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“I’m sure everybody’s heard by now that I will not be returning to ESPN,” he said on the July 31 episode of Nightcap.

“The only thing I really asked is if we can wait until Monday (August 4). My brother’s going into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, I really wanted it to be about him, and I wanted it to be about family.

“I just wish this thing could have waited until Monday. I wanted it to be about everything he worked his entire life for.”

Despite the news being leaked, Sharpe spoke highly of his time with ESPN. Ahead of Super Bowl LX in San Francisco last month, he told Front Office Sports he would be open to a return.

“I would love to go back if they were to call,” he said.

“That is their call. But obviously, I’m more than willing, I’m more than capable. They see what we do here on Nightcap. They see the numbers that we generate.”

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