Brett Favre asks appeals court to to re-ignite lawsuit against Shannon Sharpe
Brett Favre's legal team was back in court on Tuesday, according to multiple media reports, trying to convince the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans to reinstate the former NFL quarterback's defamation lawsuit against Shannon Sharpe.
The case was dismissed by a federal judge in Jackson, Mississippi, in October.
The dispute involves comments Sharpe made on the Fox Sports show "Skip and Shannon: Undisputed" in September 2022. At the time, Favre was at the center of an alleged corruption scandal involving the state of Mississippi's welfare system.
Among his broadcast comments, Sharpe said Favre was "taking from the underserved," that he "stole money from people that really needed that money," and, "The problem that I have with this situation, you've got to be a sorry mofo to steal from the lowest of the low."
The lower court ruled that Sharpe's remarks were "rhetorical hyperbole" and "loose, figurative language." Favre's lawyers are arguing that the comments represent "actionable defamation."
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Favre was never charged with a crime, but the state of Mississippi still has a lawsuit pending against him and others involved in the welfare scandal. State representatives maintain that he received more than $1 million for planned speaking engagements to which he was a no-show. He paid back that money but is being pursued for interest.
Sharpe has since left Fox Sports and now works for ESPN.