“I thought he was gay”: Rapper Maino questions Shannon Sharpe’s sexuality and the $50 million sexual assault lawsuit shocked him

As Shannon Sharpe faces a $50 million sexual assault lawsuit that has rocked both sports and entertainment circles, rapper and media personality Maino has offered his candid — and controversial — take on the situation. In a recent interview with DJ Vlad, Maino not only weighed in on the nature of the allegations but admitted he was shocked by the accusations because he believed Sharpe was gay.

When asked about the lawsuit involving the Club Shay Shay host, Rapper Maino began by addressing what he felt was a concerning age gap between Shannon Sharpe and the 19-year-old woman accusing him. Although the woman was legally of age, Maino expressed that it still felt ethically off.

“A man can do whatever he want to do, right? But, you know, for me, personally, I wouldn't want to be laying in bed, jumping in the sack with a 19-year-old,” Maino said. “That's just a bit too young for me. Just the conversation, what we talking about, what we into. I don't really feel like we got much in common.”
Maino didn’t stop there. He questioned the tone of the alleged victim’s text messages, implying they were overly scripted. “This didn't sound like a mature 19-year-old, she sound spectrumish,” he added. “Those text messages sound a little, you know, scripted. Like, 'I'mma say this just to get it on record.'”

In perhaps the most headline-grabbing part of the interview, Maino revealed that the lawsuit took him by surprise because of how he previously perceived Sharpe’s sexuality. “Honestly, I thought he was gay,” Maino said. “100 percent. His name is Shay Shay, the way he talk. The way he move around. I thought he was gay, 100 percent. ... No disrespect. I'm not big on football... He wasn't really somebody I really knew about like that.”
Sharpe has denied all allegations, maintaining that the relationship was “100 percent consensual.” In light of the lawsuit, he announced he would be stepping away from his ESPN duties, leaving fans and critics alike wondering what’s next.
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The case continues to stir intense reactions from across the sports and entertainment worlds — with Maino’s comments only adding fuel to the already controversial fire.