After two expensive divorces, Sherri Shepherd is done dating certain types of men, and her brutally relatable reasons have people nodding in agreement.
The “Sherri” host recently appeared on Angie Martinez’s âIRL Podcast,â where the two discussed the challenges of dating as women over 50.
Martinez, 54, noted the contrast between herself now and her younger self, suggesting that younger women often dated the “idea of who the man could become.â
âYou [fall] in love with a potential, potential. Have you done that?â Martinez asked.
After emphasizing the “PO” part of potential, the 58-year-old Shepherd replied to her younger self with no shortage of chagrin.
âYeah, when I was in my 20s and my 30s and my 40s. Yeah. Youâre not doing potential. No, we donât do âPO-tentialâ no more,â she shared, referencing years she spent dating men with future promise but little present stability. After two âvery high-profile divorces,â Shepherd added, âI know who I am. I donât want to waste your time. I donât want you to waste my time.â
Martinez noted that potential isnât always about money â it can also refer to emotional growth or personal aspirations. But Shepherd remained unmoved.
âYeah, I don’t have time for all that. That sounds wonderful, but at this stage where I am, I canât help you build,” she explained, “Again, I’m not looking up in seven years going ‘I done helped this … he been using my car’ … I’m not doing all of that. And it’s ok, no harm, no foul.”
Shepherd acknowledged that itâs OK for her and a potential suitor to not be in the same place in life, but insisted that potential was no longer a reason to stay in a relationship.
The comment section on the podcastâs post specifically echoed Shepherd’s sentiments.
âShe telling the truth! Iâve dated âpotential,â they are still doing the same thing,â one Instagram follower wrote.
Another chimed in: âSherri and I are the same age. And 100% speaking and feeling the same way about relations as she is. I don’t have time for the mess or drama or a man potential. He has to have it together at this stage.”
Another wrote, “Yes, lesson learned. We not doing that again lol.”
Yet one critic said, “58 divorcee twice 2 kids? okay the men she wants are going for younger women with potential, no degrees, no accomplishments, a Burger King worker raised by a good family [with] no educational background … straight from the mud. Thatâs who 99% of men would go for.”
After two divorces that left her financially drained by alimony and child support, the daytime talk show host has every reason to approach love with caution.
Shepherdâs journey through divorce has been both costly and public. Her split from her first husband, Jeff Tarpley, resulted in a child support order for their son, Jeffrey Charles Tarpley Jr.
Her second divorce from Lamar Sally led to more contentious court battles. She was legally obliged to pay $4,100 a month in child support for Lamar Sally Jr., a child born via surrogacy during their marriage.
During a 2023 episode of her talk show, Shepherd had a segment referencing La La Anthony speaking out about no longer wanting marriage after her experience with NBA Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony. Shepherd used the talking point to reflect on how the process had left her emotionally and financially depleted.
âWhen you owe the IRS money for the next decade⊠it cost me â geez, that second divorce over a million dollars. Thatâs money I could have been saving up for my sonâs college education; now, all that moneyâs going to the IRS,â she said. She admitted that sheâs had to keep âgrindingâ professionally to manage the heavy financial obligations stemming from her past relationships.
Since her two failed marriages, Shepherdâs focus has shifted to self-love. She now pours into her friendships, independence, and travel. And she stands firm in her belief that love doesnât require a ring.
âI donât necessarily have to have the ring, I know Iâm committed to you,â she shared.
Shepherd says sheâs open to dating the right man when the time comes but for now sheâs focused on fun, travel, and girlfriends with no more âWho am I without a man?â thoughts.
