Inside Sherri Shepherd's Conjugal Life

Comedian Sherri Shepherd has been married and divorced twice: She is a doting mother to two kids!   

An actress, comedian, author, and broadcaster, the multi-talented Sherri Shepherd has been maintaining her place in the headlines for over a decade. The Emmy-winning host, who has risen to become a household face, thanks to her much-loved eponymous show, Sherri, has been facing a massive backlash for resuming her show's production while other daytime talk shows are put on hold amid the ongoing WGA and SAG-Aftra strike.  

Born on April 22, 1967, in Chicago, Illinois, Shepherd landed her breakthrough role in Jamie Foxx's sitcom, The Jamie Foxx Show, in which she starred for five years. Sherri had cemented decent acting before she ascended to build a lasting repertoire on television. Starting her journey as a guest host and later landing a coveted spot on The View, Sherri bagged her own show in 2009.  

Inside Sherri Shepherd's Personal Life!   

Throughout her professional life, which roughly spans 25 years, Shepherd has been married twice, both of which ended in a bitter divorce. The Sherri talk show host was early in her career when she delved into a conjugal life with Jeff Tarpley, a former actor. Although not much is known about the duo's love story, chances are that the two met on the sets of The Jamie Foxx Show. 

The couple walked down the aisle in 2001 and welcomed a son, Jeffrey, in 2005. But almost a year after their son's birth, Sherri and Tarpley had split ways in 2005. As per sources, Sherri had discovered evidence of Tarpley's affair before she tried to work things out for the sake of their son. Sherri eventually decided to file for divorce in 2010.  

The estranged couple were embroiled in a bitter custody battle for their son with special needs. The former View host seemingly gained the primary custody of their son as Tarpley filed to seek an emergency custody modification in 2020. Tarpley alleged that their disabled son was suffering from "neglect" under Shepherd.   

Shepherd gave marriage another shot not long after her divorce from Jeff. The talk show host married writer Lamar Sally in August 2011. The pair had met amid Sherri's first divorce and had gotten engaged in December 2010. But like most hasty decisions do, Sherri's second marriage also ended in a disaster.  

The duo's nuptials ended while they were halfway into welcoming a son via surrogacy. Sherri and Sally separated in May 2014 and their son, Lamar Jr., was born in August 2014. Reflecting on her short-lived marriage, the Less Than Perfect actress revealed her close celebrity friends, including Whoopi Goldberg and Steve Harvey, didn't approve of her nuptial with Lamar.   

The Sherri host shares that despite her friends' protest, she went on with the wedding. "I was in New York, doing The View, and I was lonely," said the Emmy-winning host. "I will not have you lie that the only reason you married me and brought our son into the world was because you were lonely or horny," Lamar clapped back at Shepherd.  

Get to Know Sherri Shepherd's Sons!  

The comedian-turned-host is a mother of two, although the past headlines suggest that she isn't the best at it. Shepherd's parenting journey has been at the center of media turmoil numerous times. She weathered two scathing custody battles and some allegations afterward.   

Shepherd's first son, Jeffrey, 18, is the only one the comedian has acknowledged as her kid. The former View host has been candid about her son's battles. "I know that God created this little boy, who’s so yummy and special, and I have to accept him just in his little imperfections," said the actress. Jeffrey reportedly suffers from developmental delays.  

When Sherri's first ex-husband filed to gain full custody of their son, Jeff accused the host of neglecting their son for her career. Jeff said, (Sherri's) career is seven days per week non-stop. (She leaves) primary responsibility for our minor child to unskilled nannies."  

On her social media pages, the Sherri host seemingly shares an extraordinary bond with he son. "It has been hard for me to let him jump because I want to protect him from everything that could hurt him," the mother wrote in a post while sharing an anecdote of her special child striving to find his independence.   

Shepherd's second kid, Lamar Jr., 9, whom she shares with her second ex-husband, is not Sherri's biological kid. Lamar Jr. was born using Sally's sperm and a donor's egg, which is why the comedian has been refuting her parental association with the kid.  

When Sherri challenged the surrogacy contract and sought to remove her name from Lamar Jr.'s birth certificate in 2015, the comedian faced massive backlash. While addressing the drama, Shepherd shared that she only agreed to have a surrogate son with Lamar because she was scared he would leave her if she didn't.   

A judge ruled against Sherri's request and she was ordered to pay Lamar a hefty child support! 

Sherri's request to exempt her from the parental rights and duties of the kid was denied by a judge and the comedian was also ordered to pay a certain amount in child support. Sherri's second ex-husband later shared that the actress has never met with Lamar Jr. "Sherri is going to regret what she has done to this kid. LJ is going to grow up and want some answers and so do I," Sally said.  

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