Recently, the internet has been on fire over Shannon Sharpe, a 56-year-old man, and his relationship with a 22-year-old woman — who he reportedly met when she was just 19.
It’s sparked a million debates:
- “She’s grown.”
- “He’s rich, she knows what she’s doing.”
- “It’s not illegal.”
And sure, maybe by the letter of the law, it’s all fine.
But let’s talk about what rarely gets discussed:
power dynamics, grief, betrayal, and the quiet ways exploitation hides in plain sight.
I don’t share this lightly.
But I think it’s time.
After my 23-year marriage ended, I eventually built a new relationship — eight years with someone I trusted. Or thought I did.
And then, right after the unimaginable loss of my son — my daughter’s brother — when my family was raw and broken open with grief, that man propositioned my daughter.
She had just turned 19.
He offered her money for sexual favors.
Let that sink in.
While pretending to mourn with us.
While sitting in the aftermath of death.
While watching a mother and daughter barely holding it together — he made a move that shattered any remaining illusions about who he was.
My daughter is strong. She shut it down immediately.
But the pain?
The betrayal?
It ripped through us like a second death.
Men who cross certain lines rarely stop crossing them. The patterns just shift to new faces, new names.
It’s a pattern. Not an accident.
Let’s talk about what doesn’t make the news:
- When trusted adults cross lines no one sees but you.
- When the predator hides behind smiles, dinners, and “good guy” reputations.
- When society shrugs because “technically” she was of age.
- When grief gets weaponized — when the most broken moments become hunting grounds.
And let’s be real:
- Yes, adults can make choices.
- Yes, not every age-gap relationship is predatory.
- But age and power matter — especially when one person is vulnerable and the other knows it.
- Just because it’s legal doesn’t mean it’s right.
- Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.
I’m not here to cancel anyone.
I’m here to say:
If you’ve ever been betrayed like this, you’re not alone.
If you’ve ever felt the silence around your grief grow heavier because of what someone did, you’re not crazy.
If you still carry the ache of watching someone you trusted reveal who they really were — you’re not weak. You’re awake.
And if no one has told you lately:
Your pain is valid.
Your story matters.
And you deserve better — then, now, and always.
Final note:
We survived.
We thrived.
We rebuilt a life without the weight of predators disguised as partners.
And we will never apologize for knowing exactly what betrayal looks like — and refusing to stay silent about it.