Since being inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame back in 2011, Shannon Sharpe remains a proactive part of the sports-talk space, whether it’s through on-air analysis, podcasts, or radio shows. But the Super Bowl winner unleashed a completely different kind of content to his followers on the morning of September 11, as fans discovered an Instagram Live feed streaming Sharpe in the throes of NSFW passion. Don’t expect to see this clip popping up in the upcoming TV schedule.
Indeed, despite some initial reports that Sharpe’s social media account had been hacked, he went on to address the embarrassing faux pas at length on the latest installment of Nightcap opposite Chad Ochocinco, where he copped to no hacks being involved. ESPN vet Michelle Beadle even got in on the fun after fans tried figuring out exactly who the former Broncos tight end was with in the video.
Shannon Sharpe's Admission And Request For Followers
Early on in the 70-minute conversation, Shannon Sharpe explained that he wasn't very pleased with himself after the IG Live video made the rounds, while making it clear that he sees nothing wrong with the act itself, but rather the lack of tech/app know-how that could have kept this from happening in the first place. As he put it:
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 to have your most intimate details on the audio that you hear, I’m disappointed in myself. I let a lot of people down, my kids. I reached out to them, I called my sister. My friends, obviously, reached out. But guys, this was not staged. 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.
Chad Ochocinco had tons of ribbing to deliver, and humorously complimented the former Undisputed host on his hips being in good shape while negging on the athlete's cardio, among other comments. He also brought up the fact that the name Michelle could be heard in the IG Live audio, and Sharpe soon addressed the troublesome consequence of any kind of identifiable element going public, saying:
I know what y’all are trying to do. Y’all trying to see who I follow, and who follows me, and trying to put two and two together. Y’all involving people that ain’t got ish to do with this. Y’all not gonna figure it out, y’all not. . . . If you have definitive proof, and you want to reach out and they have a conversation with you, okay that’s fine. But to arbitrarily just call people because her name might be Michelle or her name might be Nichelle, or her name might be something [else]. Come on now. Be better than that. Don’t involve people. Y’all didn’t call me. Call me!
It's amusing that Shannon Sharpe made it seem like he could have said any name that sounded like "Michelle," but could only come up with "Nichelle" as an alternate. Speaking of...
ESPN's Michelle Beadle Chimed In
With all the speculation online about who the "Michelle" might be in the video with Shannon Sharpe, former Grantland and NBA Countdown host Michelle Beadle hit up her own Instagram to share this comment IG Stories:
It was not me. 😀
Beadle, who had a contentious relationship with LeBron James in the past, confirmed that she wasn't on the receiving end of anything in that IG Live video, and I have to wonder if she actually got messages from friends and followers wondering if it was actually her. There are presumably a relatively limited number of Michelles in the world of sports and entertainment.
Ochocino attested to that sentiment when sharing his own limited selection of guesses during the Nightcap episode, saying:
Honestly, I’m thinking of all the Michelles that it could possibly be. I’m thinking MIchelle Pfeiffer. I’m thinking K. Michelle. I’m trying to think of other Michelles that I would know and think of somewhat of a high tier, top-tier high caliber-type woman that you would give an opportunity to bungee jump like that.
If Shannon Sharpe is suddenly revealed to be a major cast member in Michelle Pfeiffer's upcoming Yellowstone spinoff The Madison, then maybe we can return to that particular avenue of speculation. And now I'm kind of interested in what that would look like.
It remains to be seen if Shannon Sharpe will face any kind of professional consequences for his NSFW livestream. At least beyond more playful roasts from Ochocinco and Michelle Beadle.
