Sherri Shepherd is apologizing after talking dirty to another woman’s husband — and Patti Labelle might be to blame.
Shepherd had Kerry Washington and her “Shadow Force” co-star Omar Sy as guests on “The Sherri Shepherd Show” to talk about the upcoming film when the talk show host suddenly got carried away.
Enthralled by Sy’s French accent, the “Beauty Shop” actress almost got in trouble trying to speak a little French herself on the May 8 show, prompting her to issue an on-air apology.
She interrupted the interview to tell Trappes, France, native, “The French accent is taking me” to which Washington responds, “It’s his superpower. It’s one of his superpowers.”
Shepherd agrees and adds, “You have this beautiful French accent even in the movie and all I can think about, I’m looking at you – all I know is Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir.”
These are infamous lyrics that come from Labelle’s 1994 hit song “Lady Marmalade.”
Washington let out a shriek as Sy fell out laughing on the couch. The “Scandal” star warned Shepherd, “You got to be careful out here talking to people like that.” Shepherd responded, “I don’t even know what it mean. What’d I just say? What did I say to you, because that’s all the French I know.”
Washington looked over to Sy and asked, “You want to tell her.” He nods and said, “You need to know that you asked me to sleep with me.” Shepherd began to playfully stutter before Sy interjected and said, “And you said it ‘Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir’ it means “Would you want to sleep with me, tonight?”
Shepherd, immediately attempting to right her wrongs, asked, “What camera do I need to look at to apologize to Omar’s wife?” She said, “Mrs. Sy, I am so sorry.” Sy is married to his long-time sweetheart Hélène Sy. The two have known each other since they were teens and have been married since 2007. They share three daughters and two sons.
Shepherd quickly moved on and said, “Omg well the next question, do you have an uncle or a brother that talks like you? That would like that I just said Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir? Somebody in your family look like you.”
In Shepherd’s Instagram clip of the interview with her, Sy, and Washington, fans reacted.
“Had the same reaction when I first learned what that meant. I said OK PATTI,” said one.
Another shocked fan wrote, “Omg, all this time, that’s what we have been singing this song.”
Another fan who wasn’t buying Shepherd’s act said, “Sherri knew. We all use that line.”
And this fan wasn’t far off. It seems Shepherd either forgot or maybe she was fibbing about not knowing the meaning, because two years ago, Labelle herself came on to the show and told the host what the lyrics meant. It was actually Labelle who said she didn’t know the meaning before she sang them.
In the April 2023 episode, she revealed that she was on her way to New Orleans with songwriter Allen Toussaint and her bandmates and she wanted to immediately record the “Lady Marmalade” song because she believed it was going to be a hit.
“And it was a hit,” she said, “I had no clue it meant ‘Will you sleep with me tonight?’” Shepherd responded, “Really? You didn’t know what it was? Did you know French?” Labelle said she didn’t know French either.
When talking to Sy and Washington, Shepherd asked for one more request from Sy.
“I know you married, but can you just pretend for one moment, say something to me romantic in France – in French I got to hear it,” Shepherd said. Per her request, he told her “‘Sherri, I’m going to the bank at 5 to get some money out because I need eat eggs and milk,’” in French, and it led to her sliding off the couch and onto the floor.
The trio talked a lot about the “Shadow Force” movie. In the film, which was released on May 9, Sy and Washington’s character play a husband and wife who used to be in a spy organization and ran away after breaking the rules and falling in love. Now they are on a mission to protect their son from the organization, which is attempting to track them down.
