Shannon Sharpe has issued a mea culpa after the three-time Super Bowl winner accidentally broadcast an intimate moment to his 3 million Instagram followers.

Talking about his Nightcap The ESPN presenter said on the show that the mishap was “embarrassing” and did not meet his own professional standards.

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Sharpe posted a one-and-a-half minute video on Instagram on Wednesday in which an unknown woman could be heard moaning with pleasure. However, the intimate act was not visible in the video.

Sharpe initially claimed his Instagram had been hacked, but later admitted Nightcap that the video was his mistake.

“I came in, threw my phone on the bed and was engaged in an activity. I was not aware of IG Live. I’ve never been on IG Live, I’ve never turned on IG Live, so I don’t know how it works,” Sharpe explained. He added that his assistant accessed his Instagram account and took down the video.

Sharpe said he didn’t realize what had happened until he later picked up the phone and called his marketing representative, who told him he had streamed the intimate act live to his millions of followers.

“My heart sank,” Sharpe said. “I called my agent, I called the agency, I called ESPN and I (thought) I just have to tell them the truth. My phone wasn’t hacked, it wasn’t a prank, I was a healthy, active man.”

Sharpe said he was “very disappointed in myself” and had “let a lot of people down.” He added: “Of course I’m embarrassed. (I’m) someone who is very, very private and if one of his most intimate details is on tape for the whole world to hear, I’m embarrassed.”

Sharpe faced harsh criticism on social media over the incident, posting several tweets mocking the mishap, including a post from former ESPN anchor Michelle Beadle, who wrote, “It wasn’t me.”

Sharpe signed a multi-year deal with ESPN in June. As part of the deal, Sharpe expanded his role at First attemptESPN’s Morning Debate with Stephen A. Smith and moderator Molly Qerim. Sharpe joined the show in August 2023.

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