Stephen A. Smith talks about Shannon Sharpe's livestream debacle

Stephen A. Smith is standing behind his ESPN “First Take” co-host, NFL Hall of Fame member Shannon Sharpe, who sparked a media frenzy this week after saying he accidentally live-streamed an audio recording of himself engaging in a sex act.

Smith addressed the incident on his YouTube show on Friday, explaining that Sharpe was telling the truth when he claimed the intimate moment was accidentally broadcast on Instagram Live.

The ESPN host said Sharpe was “incredibly reserved” – and “clueless” when it came to using social media technology.

“Shannon Sharpe did not commit a crime. It was not a sex tape that everyone should hear. That's not how he works,” Smith said.

“Trust me and believe me, it was a mistake,” he later added.

Sharpe was not visible in the live video, but two people could be heard moaning and breathing.

The former NFL tight end initially claimed his Instagram account had been hacked, but later admitted that this was not true.

“I threw my phone on the bed and was busy doing some activity. I didn't know about IG Live. I never turned on IG Live so I don't know how it works, and suddenly my other phone started ringing,” he said on his podcast “Nightcap” on Wednesday. “My phone wasn't hacked. It wasn't a prank, I was just being a healthy, active man.”

Elsewhere in his podcast, Sharpe said that as someone who is “very, very private,” he was horrified by the whole ordeal.

“I am embarrassed that one of your most intimate details – the audio recording – is available to the entire world for several reasons,” he said.

In June, Sharpe signed a multi-year deal with ESPN to expand his role on “First Take.” He is expected to return to his usual role on the sportscast on Monday, the Washington Post reported.