ESPN analyst Shannon Sharpe found himself in some hot water this week after a rogue Instagram Live session broadcasted his sexual activity for all of his 3.2 million followers to see. According to the latest intel from TMZ, Sharpe will face no disciplinary action for the incident despite being criticized by countless fans online.
“A source at the network tells us,” wrote TMZ Sports, “Sharpe’s absence from Thursday’s ‘First Take’ had nothing to do with what went down on his Instagram some 24 hours ago — as his usual days off are Thursdays and Fridays. The source says Sharpe is expected back on Monday — and no punishment whatsoever is coming his way.”
Shannon Sharpe was facing potential blowback for his recent activities on social media, which involved the public display of him and a lover in their most private moment. While we can’t say for certain what happened, it was an embarrassing moment for the former NFL star and it could take some time for his reputation to recover, Fortunately, it seems like his job is safe (for now).
Speculation began to rise about a possible suspension by the network after Sharpe missed his weekly appearance on First Take this Thursday. ESPN, which is owned by Disney, maintains a family-friendly image for their network and they’ve been known to cut those who mar that image in the past.
This was the case with former NBA All-Star Paul Pierce, who was cut loose from the network after revealing himself getting drunk at an adult party on Instagram Live. For Sharpe, the situation is a bit more complicated.
Shannon was recently brought over to ESPN after a stint at FOX Sports, where he starred on the hit morning show, ‘Undisputed.’ It’s only been a few months on the job when this social media scandal broke out.
Somehow, Shannon must have accidentally turned on his Instagram Live and it began recording audio of him in the middle of sexual acts with a woman. The phone was recording for minutes before it stopped, long enough for thousands of fans to piece together what they just heard.
Eventually, Sharpe’s name was trending on social media as clips of the footage got shared and spread to all corners of the internet. Initially, Sharpe had his team put out a statement claiming they were hacked. But after fans pushed back, Sharpe later admitted that it was his mistake and that he was embarrassed by the whole ordeal.
We may never know what exactly happened there but it seems ESPN is content to to move on and let everyone forget about it. Unlike with Paul Pierce, this video was seemingly taken on accident and the whole controversy is actually just a mix-up that Sharpe never meant to happen.
Going forward there’s nothing left for Sharpe to do but let the story blow over and ensure he never lets it happen again. That may be easier said than done but if he wants to keep his spot on ESPN, and his reputation as an icon in the media industry, he’ll have to work harder to maintain his image.
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