NFL legend Michael Irvin has extended a public apology to Shannon Sharpe after previously criticizing the Hall of Fame tight end for comments he made about Travis Hunter’s wife, Leanna Hunter. The apology came during Irvin’s appearance on Sharpe’s popular podcast, Club Shay Shay, which aired on Thursday.
The tension between the two sports icons began after Sharpe publicly questioned Leanna Hunter’s behavior following her husband’s Heisman Trophy win. Sharpe suggested that Leanna didn’t seem as supportive or celebratory as the moment warranted. “She’s young, she doesn’t understand what comes along with it, but I’m trying to enlighten her as somebody that’s been in that space, as somebody that understands it,” Sharpe explained.
Irvin didn’t take kindly to Sharpe’s critique at the time and took to X (formerly Twitter) to defend Hunter’s wife. “CODE VIOLATION N****!!!!!!! I love you to LIFE but STOP!!!!!” Irvin posted, making it clear he felt Sharpe had crossed a line by publicly addressing the matter. However, on Thursday’s podcast, Irvin admitted that his reaction may have been too harsh and took full accountability for his comments. “Let me do this to be righteous. Let me apologize to you here live while we’re on,” Irvin said to Sharpe.
Irvin explained that his concern wasn’t just about the specific incident, but about protecting the relationship between Sharpe and Hunter going forward. He warned that Sharpe’s initial remarks could make Hunter defensive and less receptive to constructive advice in the future. “I don’t want him to turn an ear off to you,” Irvin added, urging Sharpe to be more selective with his words so that his guidance could be heard and respected.
Source: YouTube
