Did Skip Bayless mock Shannon Sharpe’s ESPN firing? RIPBOZO viral meme explained

A meme of Skip Bayless seemingly mocking Shannon Sharpe's departure from CNN is going viral.

Sharpe was let go from the network after settling his bombshell sexual assault lawsuit, and not long after, a fabricated image of Bayless mimicking the "RIPBOZO" meme emerged. The photo quickly went viral, and the caption in it reads as follows:

"I Stopped By One Of My Biggest Haters Funeral Today Just To Make Sure That N*gga Was Dead #RipBozo #DieHatersDie."

The location was tagged "at Necker-Sharpe Funeral Home."

For the unversed, Bayless' image was superimposed onto the original meme, which emerged in May 2015. At the time, the now-deleted Instagram user @bigfend shared a photo of himself, clad in a black trench coat and sunglasses, with the same caption.

The picture has since evolved into a viral meme, with the phrase RIP Bozo referring to a dimwitted person's demise. As of this writing, Bayless has not openly commented on Shannon Sharpe's departure.

Everything we know about Shannon Sharpe's shocking departure from ESPN:

Variety was the first to report that Shannon Sharpe would not be returning to the network on Wednesday, weeks after settling his lawsuit. Following his career in the NFL, he saw massive success alongside Skip Bayless when they hosted FS1's Undisputed together. However, following their high-profile fallout, Sharpe moved on to ESPN's First Take and his own podcasts, Club Shay Shay and Nightcap.

Back in April, however, when an ex-girlfriend came forward to accuse him of threatening and raping her, he announced on X that he would be taking a break from the show, despite maintaining his innocence. He also vowed to make a return at the time. The $50 million case was eventually settled, the details of which remain unclear, though Sharpe's role has now been axed.

During his Nightcap show on Wednesday, July 30, Sharpe addressed the matter:

“I really enjoyed my time at ESPN. It gave me an opportunity to bring my audience that saw me really just grow,” he said.

He also acknowledged the shadow the debacle cast on his brother, Sterling Sharpe's big day on Saturday, as he is to be inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame.

“I profusely apologized to him earlier today. He said, ‘Bro, stop apologizing. You don’t have to apologize. I’m your big bro, I’m going to love you regardless. We all make mistakes,'” he continued, noting that ESPN “did what they felt they needed to do, and I’m at peace with that. But I just wish, guys, I just wish this thing could have waited until Monday because I hate the fact that I’m overshadowing my brother.”

As for Shannon Sharpe and Skip Bayless, the two began working on Undisputed in 2016. The two engaged in several arguments during that time and even spawned a number of memes. Skip was even notorious for cutting Shannon Sharpe off as he tried to speak, according to Complex. The show ran for 7 years before Sharpe reached a buyout and quit.

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