Report: Shannon Sharpe won’t face ESPN discipline for viral NSFW Instagram Live incident

Shannon Sharpe will not be punished by ESPN for posting an NSFW video on his Instagram Live. According to TMZ Sports, the NFL legend and ESPN analyst won’t be disciplined for the accidental post. TMZ Sports was told Sharpe’s absence from Thursday’s First Take had nothing to do with the video as his usual days off are Thursdays and Fridays. Sharpe is expected to return to TV on Monday.

Originally, Sharpe’s Instagram account said he was hacked, which is why the explicit video was shared live. However, the three-time Super Bowl champion set the record straight on his Nightcap show, saying it was him “being a healthy, active male.”

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“Obviously, I’m embarrassed,” Sharpe said. “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. People count on Shannon. 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.

Shannon Sharpe says NSFW video was ‘not staged’

“Even when I’m behind closed doors, I still try to remain a level of professional, although I’m in the privacy of my own home, and I’m very disappointed in myself. Not for the act. I think there are millions, billions of people, consenting age that engage in activities, but to have your most intimate detail, the audio to be heard, I’m disappointed in myself. … 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.”

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Sharpe has been working for ESPN since 2023 and recently signed a contract extension to stay with the network. He previously worked at FS1 and was on the show Undisputed with Skip Bayless and was with that network for seven years.

Sharpe played in the NFL from 1990 to 2003 and was a member of the Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens. He was selected to the Pro Bowl eight times, named to the All-Pro Team five times and is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.