The Fast Rise and Slow Downfall of Jonathan Major and Shannon Sharpe : Navigating Public Misfortune

In today’s generation, cancel culture has become one of the most significant things to shape celebrities’ careers and outlook. Many are faced with the resurfacing of old tweets, political views, or even public relationships. In this case, both Jonathan Major and Shannon Sharpe’s relationships have caused them a form of controversy. Both have had a fast rise to fame for becoming African American public figures in two areas that matter most – acting and sports entertainment! 

Jonathan Major is best known for his role in the 2019 film “ The Last Black Man in Sanfrisco “. He even worked alongside Spike Lee, African film director, in the TV show “ In Da Club”. Shannon Sharpe has been a staple in sports and entertainment since his 1990 NFL draft pick. He has been a three-time Super Bowl winner with both football teams – The Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens. 

The controversy behind the fame 

Jonathan Major's childhood shaped his passion and pursuit of acting. Born on September 7th, 1989, in Santa Barbara County, California, due to his dad being in the Air Force, his two siblings and his mom would move around to different stations. He was raised between Georgetown and Cedar Hill in Texas. Within his neighborhood, he was surrounded by drug dealers, robbery, and

violence. This led to behavioral issues within his high school, and he had to go to an alternative high school, where he was introduced to acting. 

After attending Yale University for acting, he had two starring roles that put him on the map. From starring in the ABC docuseries “ When We Rise” to Marvel’s TV film “ Loki “. He was awarded an Emmy and a Critics' Choice award for these roles, amongst others. Right when audiences started to find Major’s work captivating, his downfall began to overshadow his growing career. 

On March 25th, A call was made to the NYPD from a friend of Grace Jabbari, who was Major’s then girlfriend. An incident occurred while the couple headed back to Major’s apartment. "Let me see the messages, "Jabarri stated while in the car. She claimed that the altercation began from seeing messages from another woman in Major’s phone. Major was arrested later that night, 

with Major accusing Jabbari of being the violent and abusive one. Court dates began on April 27th and finalized a ruling on April 8th, 2024. Major was hit with two guilty counts of assault in the third degree and harassment in the second degree. 

However, the verdict required Major to attend domestic violence counseling for a year instead of being put in jail. However, this still didn’t mean he was off the hook in terms of his career. Marvel decided to drop Jonathan Major in December 2023, right after he was found guilty by the jury. 

Various news outlets bashed Major, and fans were left devastated. Instead of Major’s fans seeing this as a time of vulnerability for him, the controversy quickly shifted public perception. 

Shannon Sharpe’s Bold Shift 

Shannon Sharpe – born on June 26th, 1968, in Chicago, Illinois is known for being one of the most significant football stars. From high school football to being a star in the NFL. The world has

always known Sharpe for having bold opinions and never being afraid to voice them – whether it was based on sports or others’ personal lives. 

He played in the NFL for 14 seasons and retired during the 2003 season. Shortly after joining the “ Undisputed “ – the weekday morning sports show co-hosted with Skip Bayless in 2016, more controversy started to come his way. Bayless and Sharpe would have many heated arguments that resulted in fans and critics finding Sharpe’s comments rather ignorant. 

Skip Bayless & Shannon Sharpe MOST HEATED MOMENTS OF 2022 ���� 

It all came to an end when Shannon Sharpe was asked to leave “ Undisputed “ in 2023. Persuading him to start his podcast “ Club Shay Shay” – aside from being an ESPN commentator for First Take. Since then, he’s used this platform for unfiltered, candid conversations. He has interviewed other black figures in sports and social media influencers. Megan thee Stallion, Lil Yatchy, Deion Sanders, and Candace Parker are some to name. 

“I’m looking for players from two-parent households… I want them to have a certain look.” A supported statement by Sharpe on one of his podcast episodes with Deion Sanders. This statement sparked opinions about Sharpe, suggesting that he doesn’t appear to 

support inclusivity. Sharpe’s downfall was coming from the way he didn’t care to think about how his opinions may be offensive or ignorant. 

A final straw ; Shannon Sharpe gets dropped from ESPN 

A stunning fall for sports had just begun – Shannon Sharpe was dropped from ESPN’s First Take show on July 20th, 2025. Fans and the overall sports audience were not appalled by this, and here’s why– 

Sharpe was accused of physical abuse, sexual assault, and battery in October 2024. The allegations were made and filed in a lawsuit by his previous girlfriend ( who remained anonymous). She demanded at least 50 million dollars from Sharpe. AP News added, "Sharpe flew into fits of anger when Plaintiff noted his infidelity to their relationship, or called him out about his extraneous activities," the lawsuit stated. " His public perception was turned into a living nightmare, which wasn’t a shocker, being that fans were already against the ignorant comments he’s made on his podcast. 

Shannon had met this woman at the age of 23 when they ran into each other at a gym. The woman had claimed that even though most of their encounters were consensual, Sharpe would still take things overboard, from recording their encounters to mentally and physically manipulating her. She decided to end the relationship when Sharpe accidentally went live, having sexual encounters with another woman. 

As of July 18th, the lawsuit was settled, and further details have not been put out to the public about it. 

From Triumph to Turmoil

Since both of these situations occurred in Major’s and Sharpe’s lives, it’s been a hard time for them to come out stronger. Being that Major’s incident is a little less recent, people within the black community have opened their arms to forgive Major. As reported by Variety, Michael B. Jordan – Major’s co-star in the film “ Creed 3 “ stated “ I’m proud of his resilience and his strength through it all, and [his] handling [of] it. I’m glad he’s good. That’s my boy.” in a GQ Magazine earlier this year. 

On the other hand, Sharpe has continued to voice his strong beliefs on his podcast– no matter who supports him or not. Some still support him because of his passion for staying involved with sports, while others feel his reputation is diminished. 

Overall, both public figures have made mistakes – it may be seen as public misfortune or just another fast rise and slow downfall. At the end of the day, their journeys in the public and private eye are just a reminder that celebrities are human too! You can either decide to embrace them and all they come with, or turn the other cheek!