defamation lawsuit that former NFL quarterback Brett Favre filed against a fellow Pro Football Hall of Fame member — former tight end Shannon Sharpe.
Favre filed the lawsuit over comments Sharpe made in 2022 on a Fox Sports show amid a developing Mississippi welfare scandal involving millions of dollars diverted to rich and powerful people.
Mississippi State Auditor Shad White said Favre improperly received $1.1 million in speaking fees to go toward a volleyball arena at The University of Southern Mississippi, where Favre had played football and where his daughter was playing volleyball. The fees were from a nonprofit organization that spent Temporary Assistance for Needy Families money with approval from the state Department of Human Services.
Sharpe said Favre was “taking from the underserved,” that he “stole money from people that really needed that money” and that someone would have to be a sorry person “to steal from the lowest of the low.”
Favre was not charged with breaking the law and had paid back $1.1 million. White said in a court filing in February that Favre still owed $729,790 because interest caused growth in the original amount he owed.
Favre sued Sharpe over his criticism on the show. A federal district judge tossed the suit, and the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Favre’s appeal Monday.