Back in 2023, when Shannon Sharpe first asked Chad Johnson to co-host Nightcap, the choice was a no-brainer. Two former NFL players who spent years debating on various topics off camera, doing that very thing for their fans, were an easy ask. Together, they turned the podcast, along with Club Shay Shay, into two of the most-watched sports podcasts in the country. But things snowballed quickly.

Sharpe’s media empire cracked under the weight of a lawsuit last year. The timing made everything even worse. However, for Ocho, sticking with his friend was, again, a no-brainer, as he told Front Office Sports earlier this month.

“It was an easy decision for me. We all make mistakes in life, regardless of how it looks. I’ve made mistakes in life,” Johnson told Front Office Sports. “Who the hell am I to say, ‘Oh my goodness, Shannon messed up, you know what, I’m gonna kick rocks’ or, ‘Oh man, he messed up the money.’

“No! That’s not what loyalty is. I agreed to do a show with Shannon Sharpe, come hell or high or thick water. When you get married, they say, ‘Till death do you part.’ When he asked me to do that show, I’m going to stick to my guns and do that show, whether he messes up or not.”

Last year, a Nevada woman filed a civil lawsuit against Sharpe seeking more than $50 million in damages, alleging s—– assault and battery. The timing made everything even worse.

Sharpe’s multi-year contract extension with ESPN for First Take from 2024 was halted. Weeks after the former TE was able to settle the lawsuit, the two parted ways in July 2025. He still saw the bright side, though.

“They did what they needed to do, and I’m at peace with that,” Sharpe said at that time.

Things only got gruesome.

Sharpe’s podcast network was reportedly nearing a $100 million deal that would have significantly expanded both Club Shay Shay and Nightcap with Ocho. The money walked out the door. The deal collapsed. However, through all of it, Johnson never moved an inch from Sharpe’s side.

“I’m built different,” Ochocinco said. “I’m not one of those fair-weather people that when things are going good, ‘Okay, I’m here,’ but when things are going bad, ‘F— this, I’m out.’ No, I told you I’m here through the good and the bad. And the Nightcap product is so good.

“Look, I don’t like the fact that it happened. Obviously, I don’t condone it. But as far as me sticking by my co-host, I’m not going nowhere. We all mess up in life. I’ve been there before.”

Club Shay Shay, which falls under Colin Cowherd’s The Volume podcast network, currently boasts 4.18 million YouTube subscribers and releases new episodes weekly. Nightcap has amassed 1.98 million subscribers of its own. Sharpe has also continued appearing on the show with a new bearded look. However, the $50 million lawsuit was just the tip of the iceberg.

Shannon Sharpe’s legal battles went beyond just one lawsuit

The first lawsuit centered on a woman who met Sharpe at a Los Angeles gym in 2023. The two entered what the lawsuit described, per The Los Angeles Times, as “a rocky consensual relationship that lasted nearly two years.” The lawsuit was eventually settled, though the financial terms were never made public.

“After protracted and respectful negotiations, I’m pleased to announce that we have reached a mutually agreed upon resolution,” Tony Buzbee, attorney for the woman, said. “All matters have now been addressed satisfactorily, and the matter is closed. The lawsuit will thus be dismissed with prejudice.”

Another soon followed when, within a month, Jimalita Tillman filed a $20 million defamation lawsuit against Sharpe, Johnson, and Shay Shay Media. The suit targeted comments both Nightcap hosts made about Tillman’s viral fan moment at a Usher concert, in which they suggested her husband was filing for divorce. Tillman stated she had never been married at all, calling the claims “false and defamatory.”

“As a private citizen, my rights were encroached upon,” Tillman said at the time. “This is wrong, and something needs to happen about this.”

That lawsuit was also resolved, dismissed with prejudice by a U.S. District Court in Illinois. As things stand today, Sharpe is ready to go back to ESPN “if they were to call.” As for Johnson, he has launched a new podcast venture of his own. The Late Run, a soccer-focused show produced under his newly formed OchoCinco Productions. But if there was ever a doubt about Ocho’s loyalty to Sharpe, remember what he said three years ago:

“We Go Together Like A McDonald’s No. 1 With Coke.”