Shannon Sharpe apologizes for viral live sex broadcast on Instagram

After initially claiming he had been hacked, Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe admitted Wednesday that he unintentionally livestreamed audio recordings of him having sex to his approximately 3.2 million followers on Instagram.

In an emergency episode of the “Nightcap” podcast, which he co-hosts with his former NFL colleague Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson, the long-time Denver Broncos tight end apologized for his mistake.

“Of course I’m embarrassed. Having someone who is very, very private leave one of your most intimate details – the audio – for the whole world to hear is embarrassing for several reasons. This embarrasses me for several reasons.”

“A lot of people rely 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.”

The incident went viral after thousands of people began commenting and reposting the link to Sharpe's Instagram account. He later deleted the post, which he attributed to a lack of technical knowledge.

“I threw my phone on the bed while I was doing an activity,” he said. “I didn’t know IG Live. I've never turned on IG Live so I don't know how it works, and suddenly my other phone cut out the sound.”

Sharpe won three Super Bowls over his 14-year career, two with the Broncos (after the 1997 and 1998 seasons) and one with the Baltimore Ravens (2000). One of the most dominant tight ends in NFL history, Sharpe was named first-team All-Pro four times and was a member of the league's 1990s All-Decade Team.

Following his retirement as a player, Sharpe remained a constant presence in sports media – most notably sparring with Skip Bayless on FS1's “Undisputed” until he left the show last summer.

Since then, in addition to his podcast with Ochocino, he has also become an ESPN contributor.

Sharpe does not appear on ESPN's First Take on Thursdays and Fridays. An ESPN spokesperson told USA TODAY Sports that he will be back in his usual spot on Monday's broadcast.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Shannon Sharpe apologizes for viral Instagram Live sex video