ESPN personality and former NFL Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe apologized on Thursday after audio of him having sexual relations with a woman was mistakenly broadcast over Instagram Live.
On Wednesday, Shannon Sharpe sent the internet into a tailspin when he posted an Instagram Live video to his 3.2 million followers that relayed some steamy audio that sounded like woman and a man being intimate. At first Sharpe claimed to have been hacked, but on Thursday, he came clean and admitted that he mistakenly posted the video during an “extremely private” session with a woman.
“Obviously I am embarrassed. Someone that is extremely, extremely private and to have one of your most intimate details – the audio – heard for the entire world to hear, I’m embarrassed for a number of reasons,” Sharpe said during an emergency episode of Nightcap.
“There are a lot of people that count on Shannon to be professional at all times and I always try to be professional at all times, even when I’m behind closed doors,” he added. “I’m very disappointed in myself, not for the act. I think there are millions and billions of people of consenting age that engage in activities, but for the audio to be heard I’m disappointed in myself. I let a lot of people down.”
Sharpe said that he threw his phone on the bed during his intimate session and did not know the Instagram Live had been switched on.
“I threw my phone on the bed, engaged in an activity,” Sharpe said. “I did not know IG live. I’ve never turned IG live on so I don’t know how it works and all of sudden my other phone started going off.”
According to the New York Post, Sharpe’s marketing partner Jamie Fritz alerted the former football pro to what had happened and the live video ended.
“My phone wasn’t hacked. It wasn’t a prank, it was me being a healthy, active male,” he said.
Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson lightened the situation by admitting that Sharpe had butt-dialed him in the past before expressing disappointment due to his professional misstep.
“I’m baffled. I never thought I’d see the day where you, Unc, would pull something so out of character,” Johnson said. “A little unprofessional. I’m not mad, I’m thoroughly disappointed because I hold you to a higher standard. The type of standard you just tried to chastise me for just Saturday. So this has really sent me into a complete shock.”
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