Amanda Seales 'Club Shay Shay' interview with Shannon Sharpe sparks backlash

WASHINGTON - Amanda Seales sat down with Shannon Sharpe on his podcast ‘Club Shay Shay’ for a three-hour conversation that is getting backlash.

The actor and comedian shared her recent autism diagnosis for the first time, her lengthy career in Hollywood, and her life-journey as it relates to race. The conversation got intense on multiple occasions during the lengthy sit-down where Seales expressed what she called "racist experiences" throughout her life, raising questions about Sharpe's ability to handle more sensitive topics. 

The former NFL star turned sports analyst, launched his weekly podcast ‘Club Shay Shay’ in September 2020 and several viral moments have branched out from his sit-down interviews with celebrity guests and comedians like Katt Williams, Mo'Nique, and more. 

In his most recent sit-down with Seales, several critics have echoed a sense of disappointment in his handling of the comedian sharing her personal experience with racism. 

During the interview, Seales recounted racist interactions at a young age growing up in Orlando, Florida. She went on to share her experience as a child actor at Disney as the only Black girl on-set and being called racist slurs by her cast mates.

Seales asked Shannon "Does that suffice as racist to you, or would you want to call it something else? Is that just kids being mean?"

Shannon responded by saying "they're kids." He went onto say "Two things can be true. Kids can be kids and not function as an adult and things can be wrong." 

The interview includes mentions of Issa Rae, Emmanuel Acho, and many more. The full interview can be viewed here.