Chants of ‘Shannon Sharpe Will Lose His ESPN Job’ Echo on X After Instagram Live Drama

Shannon Sharpe is no stranger to going viral, but this time, it’s not for his usual hot takes. The ‘Club Shay Shay’ host found himself trending on Wednesday when a shocking video surfaced on his Instagram Live. It seemed to feature an intimate situation, which most fans are claiming involved the former NFL tight end and a woman.

While live, Sharpe’s face didn’t appear on the screen, so the broadcast might not have been intentional. But the audio itself garnered plenty of attention online.

In no time, clips were being shared all over social media. The NFL world quickly jumped into the fray, speculating about potential consequences for the former tight end’s gig at ESPN.

One creative fan, for instance, posted a video of someone struggling to enter a locked facility, with the caption reading: “Shannon Sharpe trying to enter ESPN studio tomorrow.”

Several other comments also highlighted the awkward position Sharpe might find himself in with ESPN, given their family-friendly image.

Some fans also hopped up on the conspiracy theory train, suggesting that Sharpe set up the incident on purpose, “knowing he will lose his ESPN job”:

Not everyone was quick to condemn, though. Some fans called for understanding, with one stating, “ESPN shouldn’t fire Shannon Sharpe…”

Nevertheless, Sharpe has since denied any involvement in posting the video.

Sharpe clears the air on viral Instagram Live incident

After the wild Instagram Live situation, Sharpe initially claimed that his account was hacked. But that story didn’t stick for long. During an emergency episode of Nightcap, Sharpe decided to come clean. Turns out, it wasn’t a hack — just Sharpe “being a healthy, active male.”

He expressed deep embarrassment over the situation, understanding the impact it might have on his professional image and those who look up to him.

“Obviously, I’m embarrassed,” Sharpe confessed. “I’m a very private person, and to have such intimate details out there for the world to hear… it’s tough.”

Furthermore, he wanted fans to know how fully committed he is to his role as an NFL analyst and broadcaster, making this public slip-up all the more mortifying for him.

Moving on, Sharpe firmly denied any suggestion that the incident was staged, noting,

“But guys, this was not staged. I came in, threw phone on the bed, engaged in an activity. I did not know IG live, I’ve never been on IG live, I’ve never turned IG live on. So I don’t know how it works.”

Sharpe appears to be taking his digital mishap quite hard. It also remains to be seen how ESPN will respond. But for now, the Hall of Famer finds himself navigating unfamiliar waters, far from his usual domain of sports commentary and celebrity interviews.