Shannon Sharpe reveals he got severe backlash after his Katt Williams interview

• Shannon Sharpe's interview with Katt Williams on his "Club Shay Shay" podcast is the most viewed interview in YouTube history.

• Since then, Sharpe has faced backlash from rumors about his sexuality to criticism from comedians.

• "It's not OK to say somebody is gay," Sharpe told The Hollywood Reporter. "You can't convince me that it's OK. It's not."

Shannon Sharpe has become one of the country's biggest media personalities thanks to his viral interview with Katt Williams in January. The interview on his podcast, "Club Shay Shay" is now the most-watched ever on YouTube with 70 million views.

But the NFL Hall of Famer admits the negativity from some critics since the interview was released has been hard to handle.

"Have you not seen the media?" Sharpe responded to The Hollywood Reporter recently when asked if there's been a backlash.

"Now, all of a sudden, since Katt did the interview, I'm gay. Since Katt did the interview, I'm Wendy Williams. I'm a gossip columnist. Katt did warn me. He said, 'Be prepared, because it's going to come,'" he replied.

"When I played sports, I expected the opposing team's fans to dislike me. But [in Hollywood], I had no idea it would be like this," Sharpe continued. "I would be lying if I told you I expected this."

Sharpe played 14 seasons in the NFL, predominantly with the Denver Broncos. He's now a regular on ESPN's "First Take" alongside Stephen A. Smith when not doing his podcast.

He told THR that being called gay has affected him the most.

"When you question a straight man's sexuality continuously? Social media is so influential," he said. "We had a guy make it to the White House in 2016, repeatedly saying things over and over, and people started to believe it. If you say things enough, people will believe them as true, even though they're not."

"It's not OK to say somebody is gay," Sharpe added. "You can't convince me that it's OK. It's not."

Since the Williams interview, comics including Mike Epps and Eddie Griffin have made jokes questioning Sharpe's sexuality. Both have since apologized.

"A lot of times, people disguise things in jokes," Sharpe told THR. "Envy, jealousy. I don't have anything against gay people. To each his own, and whatever you choose to do, that's your life."

Despite the criticism, Sharpe and his podcast continue to ride high. Since the Williams interview, he's landed Oscar-winner Mo'Nique and "Insecure" star Amanda Seales. Both also went viral.

Sharpe told THR that his dream interviews for the podcast are Oprah Winfrey, LeBron James, Dave Chappelle, and Eddie Murphy.

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