Shannon Sharpe On Criticism Of Katt Williams Interview: “I Never Said I Was A Journalist”

Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay interview with Katt Williams has been a hot topic over the last week, for both good and bad reasons. The Pro Football Hall Of Famer has now addressed criticism he received for not handling the interview like a journalist would.

Several detractors took issue with the fact that the First Take co-host allowed the stand-up to talk so much without pertinent follow-ups or questioning any of the comedian’s claims.

Sharpe disagrees with that notion. He countered this on the Sunday (Jan. 7) episode of Nightcap with Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson and said people were bothered that the interview gained so much visibility in a short time. At the time of his comments, the interview had 27 million views; it now sits at 33 million views in just five days of being published.

“There’s some sporting events that don’t get watched by 27 million [people],” he said. “That’s what you’re mad about. You not mad about [how] I didn’t cut this man off. You’re not mad about that. ‘Oh, those are your boys and you let him talk about your boys,’ that’s not what you’re mad about. ‘Oh, you’re not even a journalist, he could have got so much more meat off the bone.’ You’re not mad about that.”

Shannon Sharpe continued the episode by reiterating the purpose of Club Shay Shay, and clarifying that he never wanted to purport the idea that he was a journalist.

“I told you when I first started this, I said I’m going to try to bring you some of the biggest celebs, entertainers, and athletes I can bring, and I’m going to allow them to have a conversation and maybe tell you something or share something with you that they’ve never said,” he emphasized. “That was it. I never said I was a journalist. I never professed to be a journalist. I’m an entertainer. If you want hard-hitting questions, ’60 Minutes’ is the platform for you. ‘Dateline.’ ’48 Hours.’ Go to Lester Holt.”

The nearly three-hour Katt Williams interview, released last Wednesday (Jan. 3), featured the comedian being brutally honest about his feelings towards Kevin Hart, Steve Harvey, Cedric The Entertainer, and many more. Several of the people addressed in the interview have responded to Williams.

“Gotta get that anger up outcha champ….It’s honestly sad,” Hart wrote via X, formerly known as Twitter on Thursday (Jan. 4).

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