Shannon Sharpe breaks silence after getting Brett Favre’s lawsuit over Mississippi welfare scandal dismissed by the US District Court

Brett Favre accused Shannon Sharpe of making 'egregiously false' statements about him.

Shannon Sharpe breaks silence after getting Brett Favre’s lawsuit over Mississippi welfare scandal dismissed by the US District Court

Shannon Sharpe (L - via Sports Illustrated) and Brett Favre (R - via The Guardian)

Former Green Bay Packers QB, Brett Favre filed a defamation lawsuit against Shannon Sharpe and Pat McAfee earlier this year over the Mississippi Welfare scandal. While McAfee settled his case outside the court, Favre’s lawsuit against Sharpe was recently dismissed by a federal judge claiming that Sharpe’s comments “are constitutionally protected.”

Favre claimed in his lawsuit that McAfee and Sharpe made “false and defamatory” statements against him about the QB’s role in the Mississippi Welfare scandal. The federal judge claimed while dismissing the case: 

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.
YouTube video

Sharpe shared a tweet regarding this on his Twitter account. In the tweet, Sharpe thanked his legal team for handling the case. The lawsuit was filed in February this year. Favre is facing a civil action lawsuit for his involvement in the Mississippi Welfare scandal. He is also accused of using million of TANF funds to build a volleyball court in his alma mater, University of Southern Mississippi.

Sharpe made some statements regarding Favre’s welfare scandal during his time with Fox Sports’ show Undisputed. Since then, he has left the network to join rival ESPN. He is a part of the ESPN show, First Take with analyst Stephen A. Smith.

Bret Favre’s case against Shannon Sharpe dismissed by a federal judge

In February this year, Pro Football Hall of Famer Brett Favre filed a defamation lawsuit against Pat McAfee and Shannon Sharpe. It was related to Favre’s Mississippi Welfare scandal as he felt that the analysts made defamatory statements against him. However, a federal judge on Monday dismissed the case.

Shannon Sharpe (L) and Brett Favre (R)
Shannon Sharpe (L – via Men’s Journal) and Brett Favre (R – via ESPN)

U.S. District Court Judge Keith Starrett stated in his filing:

Because Sharpe's comments are constitutionally protected rhetorical hyperbole using loose, figurative language.They cannot support a defamation claim as a matter of law.

Sharpe had stated on the Undisputed show that Favre had not been charged and that remains the case till date.

Favre is one of the defendants in a civil lawsuit looking to recoup some of the misspent $77 million in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funds. According to the lawsuit, Favre was paid $1.1 million in TANF funds for speeches he did not make. Favre paid back the money but was asked to pay $228,000 in interest as well.

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