India, April 23 -- Stephen A. Smith has spoken out on the rape allegations against Shannon Sharpe, saying he is "rooting for" his ESPN colleague. On his self-titled podcast released Tuesday, April 22, he discussed the "sad situation" for about 20 minutes.

"Shannon Sharpe is somebody I work with a couple of days a week. Shannon Sharpe is somebody I brought to ESPN . We've grown close as friends . I certainly root for him," Smith said.

Sharpe has denied the allegations after facing a $50 million lawsuit. The rape accuser, referred to as a Jane Joe in legal docs, recently released an alleged audio when Sharpe can be heard threatening to "choke" her.

Smith, who has worked with Sharpe on First Take since September 2023, explained that he co...