- Born
- Birth nameSherri Evonne Shepherd
- Height5′ 1″ (1.55 m)
- Sherri Evonne Shepherd was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. When she was 11, her family moved to the suburb Hoffman Estates. Her father, Lawrence, was a food service manager at Sambos Restaurant and a church deacon, and her mother, LaVerne, cleaned homes.
Sherri started her stand-up career in 1990 while working in Beverly Hills as a legal secretary. In 1995, she took the big plunge, stepped out on faith, and quit her secretarial job. 12 days later she booked her first series as a regular on the WB's Cleghorne! (1995). It lasted only a season; and since unemployment didn't pay the bills but typing did, Sherri had to go back to the law firm for the next three years. She is best-known for her role as Ramona on ABC's Less Than Perfect (2002). Not leaving her stand-up roots, Sherri still performs regularly at the Comedy Store, the Laugh Factory and the Improv.
- IMDb mini biography by: Anonymous
- SpousesLamar Sally(August 13, 2011 - July 1, 2015) (divorced, 1 child)Jeff Tarpley(March 10, 2001 - October 7, 2010) (divorced, 1 child)
- Children
- ParentsLaVerne ShepherdLawrence Shepherd
- On May 12, 2014, Sherri filed for divorce from her second husband of three years, Lamar Sally after discovering multiple infidelities and him living a double life. In social media posts, she has referred to him as a "con artist".
- Initially, Sherri was expecting twins, but the girl passed away in utero, and she ended up in giving birth only a boy, Jeffrey, three months prematurely.
- Sherri and her son, Jeffrey Tarpley Jr., share the same birthday.
- Her debut book, "Permission Slips: Every Women's Guide to Give Herself a Break" was released in 2009. Her second book, "Plan D: How to Lose Weight and Beat Diabetes" was released in 2013 and made The New York Times Bestsellers list.
- Has two sons: Jeffrey Tarpley Jr. (b. April 22, 2005) with first ex-husband, Jeff Tarpley and Lamar Sally Jr. (b. August 5, 2014) with second ex-husband, Lamar Sally.
- [on Barbara Walters]: We were discussing creationism versus evolution, and Barbara asked if I thought the Earth was round or flat. It was just everything coming at me at once, like I was hearing things underwater, and I said, 'I don't know, I'm just trying to take care of my son!' At the end of the show, Barbara goes, 'Sherri, dear, the Earth is round.' I knew that!
- [Prior to promoting her new book while starring in her new comedy series]: I've always liked the fact that I could make people laugh at crazy stuff that has happened to me. If it makes you feel better at me falling down the stairs...then I'm going to do it.
- With me being in so much pain from when you have a betrayal from your best friend - who was my husband - and the girl got pregnant, I couldn't even get out of bed. The only thing that saved me was my stand-up. I would get on stage and just talk about stuff and I made people laugh.
- Oh, girl. People hated me for that. I didn't think it was a big deal until I realized I was the second most Googled person in the country. It was a brain fart! It was my second or third day on "The View," and I just got nervous. Barbara asked me if it was round or flat and I said, "I don't know, I'm just trying to take care of my kid. When the show was over Barbara came over and said "Dear, the Earth is round, an then I said, Barbara, I know that!' You know what, Sherri, I don't care if the Earth is round or flat either, I'm trying to get my ex-husband to see my kids,' or 'I'm just trying to work this job and take care of my family.' There were so many letters of support. That was actually the inspiration for my book, 'Permission Slips.'
- [About her son's disability]: My son's have developmental delays, but everything that the doctors predicted that he would have, I'm praising God he does not have. He does not have mental retardation; he doesn't have cerebral palsy, no shunts in his brain. But it is a challenge dealing with a child that has developmental delays. You have to have a lot more patience. You know the way our parents raised us, 'Just beat 'em. Give 'em a whuppin!' That doesn't work. You have to find other ways to do things... There are times when I sit on the couch and cry. I go, 'Lord, this is really hard.' But yet, I thank God for really strong girlfriends in my life, who raise children, who say, 'You can do this, and you are a good mother.'
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