Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay podcast has been one of the year’s most popular, largely thanks to his viral sitdown with Katt Williams that set the tone for a wild 2024. Since then, Marlon Wayans, Tyrese, John Cena, Meagan Good and many more celebrities have joined the former Denver Broncos player in studio to spill all the industry tea. While he clearly has a knack for getting people to open up, there’s a lot we don’t know about his personal life. In particular, people are full of curiosity about Shannon Sharpe’s girlfriend (if he even has one) after this week’s Instagram Live scandal.
Despite retiring from professional football in 2003, Sharpe remains an important figure in sports journalism and entertainment. He was a commentator on CBS Sports The NFL Today for 10 years and co-hosted Undisputed with Skip Bayless from 2016 to 2023. For the past few years, Club Shay Shay has been taking off, plus he’s got First Take with Stephen A. Smith and Molly Querim to keep him busy along with the Nightcap show. Needless to say, the three-time Super Bowl champion is a pro in front of the camera – unless it’s on IG.
Instagram Live Gets the Better of Footballer-Turned Podcaster
Earlier this week, Sharpe broke the internet as he accidentally began livestreaming in the middle of intercourse with a mystery woman. There were no visuals, although audio of a man breathing heavily and a woman moaning in pleasure could be heard. It wasn’t easy for him to do, but the father of three addressed the scandal on Nightcap with as much tact as possible. “I’m someone that is extremely, extremely private and to have one of your most intimate details – the audio – for the entire world to hear. I’m embarrassed for a number of reasons,” the ex-athlete said.
“I threw my phone on the bed, engaged in an activity. I did not know IG Live [was on]. I’ve never turned IG Live on, so I don’t know how it works and all of a sudden my phone started going off,” Sharpe explained. At first, some suspected ESPN might fire the media personality over the incident, but as of publication, he’s still employed and doing his best to put the situation behind him. “I always try to be professional at all times, even when I’m behind closed doors. I’m very disappointed in myself – not for the act,” Sharpe admitted to viewers. “I think there are millions and billions of people of consenting age that engage in activities, but for the audio to be heard, I’m disappointed in myself. I let a lot of people down.”
Evidently, not everyone is condemning the 56-year-old for unknowingly bringing fans into the bedroom. As per TMZ, he was offered $100K from an adult content company that gets “tens of millions of views monthly.” It’s unlikely he’ll pursue this opportunity based on his private nature, but we have to wonder if Sharpe was at least tempted by the six-figure bait.
Who Is Shannon Sharpe’s Girlfriend?
Despite being in the public eye for decades, Shannon Sharpe’s girlfriend has never been a part of his public image. We know that he shares his son, Kiari, with ex Erika Evans, who once filed charges against the Chicago native for allegedly lifting her against her will and placing her outside his Atlanta home. “Charges were dropped after a few hours of mediation,” according to ESPN. The mother(s) of Sharpe’s daughters, Kayla and Kaley are unknown, though they’ve actively supported their dad and his career achievements over the years. The most public relationship the podcaster has been in was with fitness trainer Katy Kellner, who he dated for “several years” as per Today. It’s unclear when they started and stopped dating, although she went on to marry (and later divorce) Marlon Byrd.
Besides that, there were past rumors about Eddie Murphy’s ex, Nicole Murphy, being Shannon Sharpe’s girlfriend after he posted a photo of them together in 2017. She addressed the speculation on the Comedy Hype podcast in July 2024, sharing, “I was going to a spin class and it turns out he was there taking the class, too. Then we took a picture, and of course, he showed the picture the next day on his show.” While they didn’t connect at the time, Murphy noted, “He seems like a nice guy… I’m all about chemistry. If you can make those little sparks and fireworks go off, then maybe you got a chance.”
While he was broadcasting on IG Live, some listeners think they heard Sharpe moaning the name “Michelle,” but they were confused about who he could be sweet-talking. Before gossip got too out of hand, sports reporter and host Michelle Beadle jumped on social media to clear up ties between her and Sharpe. “It was not me,” she posted on X earlier this week with a smiley emoji. Looks like the Club Shay Shay host is still keeping us locked out of his love life!