Shannon Sharpe is “embarrassed” as he admitted to accidentally going live on Instagram while engaging in a sex act.
The ESPN personality was a trending topic on Wednesday after an intimate encounter was captured on the social media platform. While the video didn’t show anything, Sharpe’s 3.2 million followers could hear moaning and sounds that alluded to an intimate act.
Initially, the three-time Super Bowl champion said his account had been hacked.
“Beware my @shannonsharpe84 Instagram was hacked this morning, my team and I are working vigorously to figure this out,” he said in a since-deleted post to X, formerly Twitter.
Hours later, Sharpe posted that an emergency episode of his show “Nightcap” would address the incident.
“Obviously, I’m embarrassed. [I’m] someone that is extremely, extremely private and to have one of your most intimate details be audio heard for the entire world to hear. I’m embarrassed for a number of reasons,” he admitted.
He went on to explain how there are several people who count on him “to be professional at all times.”
“I always try to be professional at all times, even when I’m behind closed doors. I still try to maintain a level of (professionalism) although I’m in the privacy of my own home and I’m very disappointed in myself,” he continued.
“Not for the act,” he clarified. “I think there are millions and billions of people of consenting age that engage in activities. But to have your most intimate details on audio to be heard, I’m disappointed in myself. I let a lot of people down.”
Sharpe said he reached out to his kids, loved ones and friends once he caught wind of what happened, but adamantly denied that the video “was not staged.”
He then explained what exactly happened and how it was all an accident.
“I came in, threw my phone on the bed, engaged in an activity. I did not know IG Live. I’ve never been on IG Live, I’ve never turned IG Live on, so I don’t know how it works,” he said.
The “Club Shay Shay” host then said he started getting calls on his other phone and FaceTimes from people he’s never spoken to. Finally, his longtime marketing partner got through and revealed to Sharpe what everyone had heard.
At first, Sharpe didn’t know what he was talking about until he was told that his followers could hear him having sex.
“My heart sank,” he solemnly explained. “It dropped.”
Sharpe said he is in charge of his accounts, but thankfully his assistant was able to cut it off.
“I called my agent, I called the agency, I called ESPN and I thought just tell them the truth. My phone wasn’t hacked, it wasn’t a prank, it was me being a healthy, active male,” he continued.
Back in June, Sharpe locked down a multiyear contract with the sports network. He joined Stephen A. Smith and Molly Qerim’s show First Take in August of 2023.