Sherri Shepherd has come clean about the celebrity who allegedly accosted her and accused the talk show host of “shading” her at the opening night of Othello on Broadway back in March. And she has offered her an olive branch to come on her talk show as a guest.
Appearing on The Breakfast Club podcast on Monday (June 9), Shepherd revealed that NCIS: Los Angeles actress Nia Long was the person she was referring to when she first discussed the incident on her talk show. However, Shepherd denied “shading” her and said Long must have been mistaken.
“It was Nia Long. I don’t know who Nia Long had me confused with. The only time I’ve ever talked about Nia Long is when she went through it with her partner [when] there was infidelity,” Shepherd said, referring to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air alum’s separation from former Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka, who allegedly had an affair with a female staff member.
“I supported her and… [said] she deserves to have a good man to be with her,” Shepherd added. “But I have no idea who she thought was shading her. It was not me. I have no beef with Nia Long. I’m a fan of hers. We’re grown women. We’re both the same age, so we can discuss it. That’s why I invited her on my show.”
Shepherd previously invited Long onto her daytime talk show, Sherri, and continued to say the offer was still on the table. She also addressed those who criticized her for talking about the situation publicly.
“Well, number one, I never said her name. There’s a lot of women that attended the Othello premiere,” the 30 Rock alum stated. “And number two, I’m a stand-up comic. So, everything that happens in my life is material for me. And my stage, my comedy stage, is the talk show. So I got on stage, and I just talked about it, and I said, you know, this happened.”
Shepherd re-emphasized that she doesn’t have “any beef” with the Empire actress, adding, “I don’t like to tear down people. But I honestly was just confused. And I also don’t like when you touch me and you pull at me. I don’t like that… [she] grabbed me and spun me around.”
When talking about the incident on her talk show in March, Shepherd claimed that Long “grabbed” her arm and “forcefully turned me around.” Long accused Shepherd of “shading her,” which the talk show host denied. “And she goes, ‘Yes, you have.’ And then she just walked off.”
Putting the situation to bed, Shepherd told The Breakfast Club, “I’m cool. I’m so cool. It’s done. If Nia Long would love to come on my show, I would love [that]. I’m a fan. We’re both actresses. I would love to talk to her and just clear it up.”
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