Since the turn of the millennium, families across the United States have become well-acquainted with the voice — and later, the face — of Shirley Strawberry. For over a decade, the radio and television host has been an indispensable presence on our screens, accompanying us even during our morning commutes. We first came to know her through her work on the L.A.-based radio show, The Steve Harvey Morning Show, which aired for six years from 2000 to 2005.
Later, alongside Harvey, the public figure bid her last farewell to the show. This remorseful goodbye wouldn’t last long, as that same year the show was relaunched on Premiere Networks, and became a comforting start to our mornings once again, this time in a different medium. In the most recent airing of the “Strawberry Letter” segment, the co-host hinted at a dramatic turn of events occurring in her personal life, and it all revolves around her husband, Ernesto Williams.
Who is Ernesto Williams and what did he do?
Strawberry and Williams have been married for years, and to many of the host’s followers, her husband has always been a familiar face wherever she goes. Unfortunately, what appeared to be a fairytale has turned into a nightmare. Recently, Williams has been making headlines not because of his connection to Strawberry, but due to new charges and his 2022 arrest.
On Friday, Sep. 12, Williams faced additional charges on top of the existing accusations that led to him serving 23 months in prison. This revelation made the audience aware that Strawberry’s husband was already incarcerated and was now accused of gun possession, theft, fraud, and — most disturbingly — child pornography. Williams was also allegedly charged with operating a credit card repair scam alongside his supposed mistress, Ericka King, as reported by Fox 5.
So where does Strawberry stand in all of this? Well, the talk show co-host has made it very clear that she was as shocked to hear the news as her audience. With the fraud schemes unbeknownst to her, Strawberry admitted in a since-deleted emotional video that her husband had been scamming her for years, lying about his identity and his intentions, per Distractify.
Upon discovering his schemes Strawberry hired a private investigator to look into Williams and discovered that not only that he’d been cheating on her for years, but that he’d even gotten someone pregnant in the meantime.
As if that’s not enough, it’s on top of shocking reports that Williams was lying even before he and Strawberry tied the knot. Claims from Williams’ first wife, Edith Williams, indicate that he and Strawberry were never legally married in the first place. According to Edith, she and Williams were never divorced, which nullifies his 2015 marriage to Strawberry. This was all revealed via the 1985 marriage certificate of Edith and Ernesto Williams, which was shared on the Chronicle Speaks YouTube channel in October.
Not long after Strawberry’s emotional video was released, Williams was arrested for gun possession for the first time. Currently, his charges are more aggravated than ever, and it is not yet known whether his sentence will be increased or not. In the meantime, the status of his relationship with Strawberry also remains uncertain, but fans are hopeful the host will share more light on the subject soon.
If you know someone suffering from sexual violence, contact RAINN or the National Sexual Abuse Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.