Shannon Sharpe‘s Club Shay Shay podcast came onto the scene and shook up the media space forever.
From viral moments to jaw-dropping confessions, the Hall of Famer-turned-interviewer has created a platform where guests feel comfortable enough to make confessions or call others out. Although Sharpe has doubled-down on him not being a “journalist,” his candid conversations with his famous peers have been turned into headlines, think-pieces, and other forms of aggregation.
So in honor of his birthday, we’re revisiting seven of the most unforgettable Club Shay Shay interviews that shook up timelines, sparked debates, and cemented his place in media as a go-to platform for the truth.
Take a look below at six of the sit-downs that still have us talking a year later.
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Katt Williams
Image Credit: Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images Shannon Sharpe kicked off 2024 with a bang when he sat down with Katt Williams just three days into the new year — and the internet still hasn’t recovered.
The nearly three-hour Club Shay Shay episode became an instant classic, widely credited as the spark that ignited what many now refer to as the “year of hate.” Williams didn’t hold back, calling out a long list of comedy heavyweights including Kevin Hart, Steve Harvey, Cedric The Entertainer, Rickey Smiley, and Chris Tucker. The shots were precise, with several of his targets issuing public responses.
What made the moment even more unforgettable is Williams’ recent reflection on the interview during New York Magazine’s Vulture Festival. “I was trying to do something there that hadn’t been done,” he said of the viral conversation, which has amassed over 83,000,000 views. “I thought that I had figured out the algorithm mathematically and I thought that I could show that. When I wrote it out, I wrote it out to kill the careers of the people that I was talking about.”
“But it was so vicious that I erased all of the knockout blows and just left the jabs so that the comic I’m talking about knows that ‘I know your real story, motherf**ker. Imma tell this, but you know what else I know,’” he added.
Take a look at Katt Williams’ viral interview on Club Shay Shay as it wasn’t just an interview — it was a cultural reset.
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Mo’Nique
Image Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images Following an explosive interview with Katt Williams, Oscar-winning actress and comedian Mo’Nique started her own media storm on Club Shay Shay. The Parkers star sat with Sharpe for a candid conversation regarding her upbringing, disparities, and betrayal in Hollywood, and the industry peers that have “wronged” her.
During the conversation, Mo’Nique voiced her past and present frustrations with people like Tiffany Haddish, Kevin Hart, D.L. Hughley, Will Packer, Tyler Perry, The President of Lionsgate, and more.
“Let me be clear: I love those people. We love those people, my husband and I love [them],” she spoke of those she mentioned. “They’re our brothers and sisters and as my husband always says, ‘Momma, we ain’t calling nobody out, we’re simply calling them up to say, listen let’s make our community better by making it right, not running and hiding by what you consider is your power.”
Give it another watch above.
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Amanda Seales
Image Credit: Santiago Felipe/Getty Images Amanda Seales had an official sit-down with Shannon Sharpe where she was able to let it all out, including sentiments about her upbringing, working on the show Insecure with Issa Rae, perceptions about herself, and much more. She’s even revealed a few new things such as recently diagnosing herself as Autistic.
Her discovery that she is on the spectrum came about while expressing to Sharpe that she’s “evolving” and has been receiving “a lot of information and a lot of slander at the same time.” When asked of that information, she revealed, “In the past month… it’s just been a very like difficult time, but there’s been really beautiful things that have come out of it. I was recently diagnosed as someone who has autism spectrum disorder which is very difficult to identify in Black women because of racism.”
She also talked about her estranged relationship with Insecure creator and former co-star Issa Rae, explaining how their issues didn’t begin on the show, but with Rae’s publicist, which resulted in Rae allegedly not having her back or “empowering” her as a woman. She then went on to declare that Rae didn’t “protect” her.
Revisit above.
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Chris Brown
Image Credit: Amy Sussman/Getty Images Chris Brown rarely sits down for interviews, which made his recent appearance on Club Shay Shay all the more compelling. The 34-year-old R&B global star — who’s been in the game since the age of 15 —offered a more reflective look at his journey, especially when it comes to the business moves that have shaped his evolution as an artist.
Brown opened up to Sharpe about how his mindset has matured over the years, crediting much of his growth to having the right people around him. “I’ve been able to have a great team, you know,” he said. “I’ve been through my ups and downs, I’ve failed a lot financially in the beginning, but now, it’s about just creating stuff that creates stuff that’s gonna be here for everybody. It doesn’t necessarily have to be titled around my actual name or brand.”
The “sensational” singer also made it clear that he’s focused on building a lasting legacy. “I just want to be able to have a legacy for my family outside of music… I want to be wealthy instead of rich.” Speaking to him being the youngest artist to own his masters, he added, “I feel like I wouldn’t [sell my catalog] at this point because that’s something that my children’s children’s children can eat off of.”
See it again above.
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Bobby Brown
Image Credit: Karl Ferguson Jr. R&B legend Bobby Brown visited Club Shay Shay, where he weighed in on one of music’s most debated topics: which artist is the “next” Michael Jackson? When asked who he believes has come close to emulating the King of Pop, Brown didn’t hesitate to name Chris Brown.
“Chris Brown is a dancer-singer/great entertainer,” Brown said of Breezy. “He goes out there and does the ultimate, ultimate stuff onstage and you just have to love it.” While Bobby gave R&B icon, Usher, his flowers too — praising him as a “great entertainer” — he stood firm on his choice. “I gotta go with Chris on being as close to Michael as anybody could ever get.”
“Chris Brown is the closest thing to Michael Jackson,” Brown reiterated, adding that while the comparison isn’t exact just yet, Breezy still has space and time to bridge that gap. “He’s still young, still has something to prove, but he’s on his way.”
Watch again above.
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Megan Thee Stallion
Image Credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images Besides Megan Thee Stallion revealing on Club Shay Shay the precious gems she’s received from mentors Beyoncé and JAY-Z, such as starting her own tequila brand and exiting her former label home, 1501, Meg also received an apology from Sharpe.
“I told a joke. I said it in jest, but I believe it would have been just as funny if I would have left you out of it,” he told her referring to a November 2023 episode of Sharpe and Chad Ochocinco’s Nightcap show where he said he would have her “stretched out like a quarter to three. “For any unwanted attention, harm, shame, embarrassment that I caused you or your family, I wanna say as a man, as I sit here before you, I apologize,” he continued.
She accepted his apology, and the two officially squashed the tension over a shot of Sharpe’s own Le Portier Shay cognac.
From there, the conversation flowed effortlessly, covering everything from Thee Stallion’s tour at the time and her bond with Beyoncé, to Sharpe’s reasons for no longer spending the night at women’s homes. They also touched on whether Megan has penned tracks for other artists, along with a few other topics.
Revisit the interview above.
