Shannon Sharpe, former NFL star and current ESPN personality, faced an embarrassing situation on Wednesday when an intimate moment was accidentally broadcast to his 3.2 million Instagram followers.

Feb 2, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; Shannon Sharpe during red carpet arrivals for the NFL Honors show at the Fox Theatre. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Initially claiming his account had been hacked, Sharpe later admitted during an emergency episode of his show, Nightcap, that the incident was a result of his own error.

The live video, which aired Wednesday afternoon, featured audio of Sharpe engaged in sexual activity with a woman. Though the video did not show Sharpe or the woman, her voice was clearly heard throughout the clip. Thousands of followers tuned in before the feed was taken down.

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Sharpe, a Hall of Fame tight end and three-time Super Bowl champion, expressed his regret during his Nightcap podcast. “Obviously I am embarrassed. Someone that is extremely, extremely private and to have one of your most intimate details – the audio – heard for the entire world to hear, I’m embarrassed for a number of reasons,” he said. “There are a lot of people that count 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.”

Sharpe explained that the incident occurred due to his unfamiliarity with Instagram Live. “I threw my phone on the bed, engaged in an activity. I did not know IG live. I’ve never turned IG live on so I don’t know how it works and all of a sudden my other phone started going off,” Sharpe explained.

Initially, Sharpe posted on X (formerly Twitter) claiming that his account had been hacked, a post he later deleted after admitting the mistake was his own.

He clarified on the podcast that his phone had not been hacked and that it was a simple case of human error. “My phone wasn’t hacked. It wasn’t a prank, it was me being a healthy, active male,” Sharpe said, adding humor to the situation by saying, “Ya’ll thought I was bulljiving, Unc get it in.”

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Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson, Sharpe’s co-host on Nightcap, attested to Sharpe’s lack of technological awareness, noting that Sharpe had previously “butt-dialed” him on multiple occasions.

While Johnson offered some grace, he couldn’t resist poking fun at Sharpe, especially since Sharpe had recently criticized Johnson for a lack of professionalism. “I’m baffled. I never thought I’d see the day where you, Unc, would pull something so out of character,” Johnson remarked. “A little unprofessional. I’m not mad, I’m thoroughly disappointed because I hold you to a higher standard.”

Though the situation was embarrassing, Sharpe and Johnson managed to find humor in it.

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The two joked throughout the episode, and Sharpe even took the opportunity to promote a male enhancement product that sponsors the show.

Sharpe, known for his long NFL career and his outspoken commentary, left Undisputed with Skip Bayless in 2023 to join ESPN.

He continues to be a prominent figure in sports media despite this recent incident, and he remains active on social media, where he has amassed millions of followers.

You can see the X-rated, not safe for work video below:

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