Sherri Shepherd has lastly revealed the identification of the thriller celeb who confronted her throughout a tense second on the Broadway premiere of “Othello” earlier this 12 months.
The actress and comic spilled the tea on her June 9 look on “The Breakfast Membership,” the place hosts Charlamagne Tha God, DJ Envy and Loren Lorosa pressed the comic and discuss present host for particulars in regards to the much-discussed incident that made waves months earlier.
She confirmed it was fellow actress Nia Lengthy who “grabbed and spun” her round in an sudden altercation on the theater.
(Picture by Arturo Holmes/Getty Photographs; Valerie Terranova/Getty Photographs)
The encounter happened through the March 23 premiere of the record-breaking Broadway manufacturing starring Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal.
The occasion drew a powerful crowd of A-list stars, together with Jennifer Lopez, Angela Bassett, Kandi Burruss, Rosie Perez, and Danielle Brooks. However regardless of the night’s glamour, issues took a pointy left flip backstage.
In accordance with Shepherd, Lengthy confronted her with out warning, grabbing her arms and spinning her round to face her immediately. On her “Sherri” present the subsequent day, Shepherd shared how the bodily interplay caught her off guard.
“I’m standing there speaking. Anyone grabbed my arms, and so they forcefully turned me round,” she recalled, including that she tried to stay upbeat regardless of the confrontation. “So I’m in temper, so I am going, ‘Hello, what’s occurring?’ ’trigger I do know her. And she or he says to me, she goes, ‘You’ve been shading me quite a bit.’”
Shocked, Shepherd allegedly responded, “No, no, I haven’t,” she mentioned. However Lengthy reportedly doubled down, saying, “Sure you’ve,” earlier than abruptly strolling away with none additional dialog or context.
Charlamagne tha God wasted no time earlier than immediately asking whether or not the “Love Jones” actress ever accepted Shepherd’s invitation to return on her present.
After contending she by no means recognized the individual, Shepherd responded, “Sure. Sure, it was Nia Lengthy. I didn’t say her title, however it was Nia.”
She continued, including, “I don’t know who Nia Lengthy had me confused with.”
“The one time I ever talked about Nia Lengthy was when she went by means of that state of affairs along with her associate and infidelity,” mentioned Shepherd. “I supported her. I mentioned she deserves man to be along with her.
“I believe Nia Lengthy perhaps confused me with somebody,” she added.
The clip in query is from January 2024 and criticizes Al Reynolds’ suggestion that Lengthy keep along with her ex-fiance Ime Udoka regardless of his dishonest scandal.
That added layer made the Broadway second much more complicated for Shepherd, who couldn’t perceive how phrases of help have been perceived as “shade.”
She additionally pushed again on the concept that talking in regards to the incident publicly was out of line.
“I don’t know who she thought was shading her, however it wasn’t me,” she mentioned. “I’ve no beef with Nia Lengthy. I’m a fan. We’re grown girls, the identical age, and we will talk about issues. That’s why I invited her on the present.”
Social media wasted no time weighing in as soon as the identification of the thriller girl was confirmed. Reactions have been blended, with many providing sturdy opinions on each side.
On “The Breakfast Membership’s” Instagram web page, some followers stood behind Shepherd.
One individual wrote, “Love them each and like how Sherri dealt with this,” whereas one other added, “Sherri is unproblematic. Nia don’t acquired no enterprise touching no one.”
Others sided with Lengthy, believing there is likely to be extra occurring behind the scenes than Shepherd let on.
“Lady bye! You bought checked so transfer on,” one person wrote.
One other supplied a extra layered take: “Simply perhaps Sherri has made a remark (humorous or detrimental) privately and it acquired again to Nia. I’m positive Nia ain’t delusional, nevertheless she ought to’ve approached it one other means and on the proper time.”
Some have been satisfied the confrontation was intentional.
“Nia knew precisely who you have been and didn’t care,” one commenter on Hollywood Unlocked’s web page wrote.
