Shannon Sharpe admits he wasn't hacked in live video of apparent sex act
Shannon Sharpe speaks onstage during the 2024 RenderATL Tech Conference at AmericasMart Atlanta on June 14, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images) (Getty Images)
Shannon Sharpe admits it was him in the controversial Instagram live video where viewers could hear what appeared to be a sex act in progress.
Earlier on September 11, the NFL legend's Instagram page, @shannonsharpe84, went live where followers could hear not-safe-for-work noises in the background. The video never showed anyone in the video, but the "Club Shay Shay" host confirmed it was him partaking in the sex act.
"It was me being a healthy, active male," Sharpe said in an episode of "Nightcap," a podcast he co-hosts with Chad Johnson, also known as Ochocinco.
Sharpe added he was "extremely ebarrassed" by the accidental leak. The admission goes against what he had posted earlier on Wednesday where he claimed his Instagram got hacked.
"I threw my phone on the bed," Sharpe said, noting that he had no idea he was live-streaming on Instagram at the time.
Sharpe said he didn't know about the incident until someone from his marketing team notified him that he was live and that people could hear sex noises.
"My heart sank," Sharpe said in the Nightcap podcast. "It dropped… Then after, I called my agent, the agency. I called ESPN… I just got to tell them the truth. My phone wasn't hacked."
While the apparent sex video has since been taken down, the NFSW post hardly went unnoticed across social media as the "Club Shay Shay" host boasts more than 3 million followers on Instagram and a following of more than 2 million on X.
Sharpe has made a name for himself as one of sports' most recognizable analysts. His "Club Shay Shay" podcast boasts more than 3.4 million subscribers on YouTube and the NFL legend's previous on-screen stops include ESPN, FOX Sports and CBS Sports.
As a player, Sharpe was named Pro Bowler eight times, named All-Pro four times, captured three Super Bowl championship rings (twice with the Denver Broncos and once with the Baltimore Ravens) before he was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.