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Shannon Sharpe reveals her viral sex video on Instagram

Shannon Sharpe has come clean about his sensual Instagram Live post on Wednesday afternoon, in which he showed his approximately 3.2 million followers a live audio recording of himself having sex with a woman.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame member and ESPN personality admitted that his Instagram was not hacked and that it was actually a woman and himself engaging in sexual acts that he inadvertently broadcast to his millions of followers.

“Of course I'm embarrassed. When someone whose private life is extremely private has one of their most intimate details – the audio recording – out there for the whole world to hear, it's embarrassing for a number of reasons,” a contrite-sounding Sharpe said during an emergency episode of “Nightcap.”

“A lot of people rely on Shannon to always conduct herself professionally, and I try to always conduct myself professionally, even when I'm behind closed doors. … I'm very disappointed in myself, not in the act. I think there are millions and billions of people of consenting age who participate in activities, but when you hear the audio, I'm disappointed in myself. I've disappointed a lot of people.”

On Wednesday afternoon, a video was posted on Instagram showing Sharpe engaging in this activity with an unidentified woman, during which she could be heard moaning.

Clips appearing on social media showed thousands of people tuning into the NSFW feed live.

Sharpe had initially claimed in a post on X that his Instagram account had been hacked before deleting the post and admitting on Wednesday evening that the incident was due to his lack of technical knowledge.

“I threw my phone on the bed while I was busy doing an activity,” Sharpe said. “I didn't know about IG Live. I've never turned on IG Live before, so I don't know how it works, and suddenly my other phone started ringing.”

It was Sharpe's marketing partner Jamie Fritz who was finally able to reach him and alert him to the situation, and it was another person who finally ended the live video, he explained on the show.


Shannon Shapes has admitted what really happened with his viral Instagram sex tape. “Nightcap” Podcast/YouTube

“My phone wasn't hacked. It wasn't a prank, I was just a healthy, active man,” he added. “You all thought I was messing around, uncle, go ahead.”

Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson accused Sharpe of lacking technical understanding and told the audience during the episode that the three-time Super Bowl champion had attacked him in the past without even realizing it.

Although Johnson tried to be lenient towards Sharpe, he could not resist goading him, as Sharpe had previously reprimanded Johnson for his professionalism.


Thousands of people watched Sharpe's Instagram clip, which he claimed was part of a cyberattack.
Thousands of people followed Sharpe’s Instagram
Clip that he claimed was part of a cyberattack.

“I'm astonished. I never thought you, Uncle, would ever do something so out of character,” Johnson said. “A little unprofessional. I'm not mad, I'm deeply disappointed because I hold you to higher standards. The kind of standards you tried to reprimand me for just Saturday. I was really shocked.”

Although Sharpe initially tried to remain serious, the two took the situation lightly and Sharpe advertised several times – even before the stream began – a sexual enhancer that the show sponsored.