A week after Jess Hilarious went viral on Instagram Live for her complaints about workplace dynamics since she returned from maternity leave, the host and comedian found herself sitting across from none other than Shannon Sharpe. Only this time, it was Sharpe who was mildly in the hot seat.
The 56-year-old former NFL player-turned-viral podcast host apologized to Jess on a recent episode of his “Club Shay Shay” podcast for past comments he made about her body in 2024, around the time she was announced as “The Breakfast Club’s” newest edition.
During the “Nightcap” edition of his show, Sharpe said he and Chad Ochocinco Johnson were discussing Jess’ new gig when the conversation turned to her appearance.
“I said ‘aye Ocho, she nice.’ So, if I offended you, I want to apologize because that was not my intent. I was just like ‘yeah, she’s a nice looking woman, she has a nice figure,” he said, adding that he received backlash because of the more than 20-year age difference between him and the 33-year-old comedian.
“Like I’m not in my thirties, I’m a grown a— woman, but yeah I get it,”Jess responded.
Sharpe continued by noting, “The thing is, a lot of times, being uncomfortable only happens when the person that’s saying something, the other person’s not attracted to them or they feel some type of way… I didn’t, and I don’t ever want someone to feel uncomfortable with my comments, so that’s why I wanted to take the time and say I apologize for what I said.”
“It’s okay, and that mean you got some good eyes on you,” Jess quipped. “That’s just all that means, ain’t nothin’ with it.”
During his initial remarks, which lasted nearly five minutes, Sharpe praised her body extensively for its curves.
“I know she’s a comedian … her body ain’t no laughing matter tho,” he tells Johnson. “I ain’t know she was like that!”
At one point, Sharpe even rapped Megan Thee Stallion’s “Body” hook.
“Like Kyrie [Irving] dribbling two basketballs,” he joked as OchoCinco struggled to change the subject.
“Don’t get me in trouble now,” OchoCinco teases as Sharpe adds, “I might get my damn self in trouble.”
In addition to the apology, during the wide-reaching conversation, Jess reveals more of how she grew up in Baltimore, her career, motherhood, and her thoughts on some of the biggest recent moments in pop culture, like the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef. While they don’t get into her recent public outburst on IG Live (it’s likely this interview occurred prior), she does discuss what it was like to step into her new role at “The Breakfast Club.”
Right around the time longtime co-host Angela Ye was transitioning away, Jess recalled going above and beyond to show her interest. In fact she admitted she had very little doubt she was a shoo-in.
“I knew I was going to get it,” she told host Sharpe. “I never even thought that I didn’t have it. I always knew.”
She added that as guest hosts, including herself, rotated out of the coveted third seat, she “treated it like it was my seat.” Her confidence was not based on her relationships with either DJ Envy or Charlamagne tha God but rather what she was fostering with the listeners and fans of the show.
When discussing recent run-ins on her show with guests like Sexxy Red who verbally tussled with her over perceived slights, Jess summed it up by saying: “Everybody cool with Jess the Mess till they end up in it.”
