Al Sharpton’s girlfriend Aisha McShaw gets better press lately than he does, just by staying quiet. The 35-year-old stylist and her 60-year-old boyfriend went public last year about their relationship. Since then, he’s kept on doing what he does — showing up anywhere there is racial unrest — and she has no problem telling everyone, “I’m his girlfriend.”
Sharpton was slated to speak at the funeral of Akai Gurley, the Brooklyn man who was killed by NYPD officers. But he has pulled out of the event because some family members reportedly don’t want him sensationalizing the funeral.
The Daily Mail has said that Al Sharpton is divorced from his wife Kathy Jordan since 2004. But actually, Sharpton and Jordan never divorced. Sharpton worked as James Brown’s tour manager in the 1970s. He says Brown took him to his personal stylist and had his hair done up just like the Godfather of Soul. It was through Brown that Sharpton met Jordan, a backup singer.
Sharpton spokesperson Rachel Noerdlinger says that, while Sharpton may not be divorced, he believes he has the right to date.
“His exact words to me were, ‘Rachel, I’m not announcing an engagement or a marriage,” Noerdlinger said. “’Don’t I have a right to date when my marriage has been over for a decade?’”
Sharpton had long been overweight, but lost over 100 pounds by changing his diet. He is a Baptist minister, and once debated noted atheist Christopher Hitchens
“I have to say it in your presence, sir, I think that the title ‘reverend’ is something people should be more concerned to live down than live up,” Hitchens told Sharpton in the debate.
“I think you probably had a bad Sunday school teacher,” Sharpton replied.