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WNBA star Sophie Cunningham is known for her outspoken nature and silly attitude, but the 29-year-old left even her cohost West Wilson momentarily speechless after boldly saying, “I have herpes!” during the Jan. 19 episode of their Show Me Something podcast.
“I used someone’s ChapStick and I got a herpe. I have herpes. So don’t kiss me,” she said. The Indiana Fever star quickly added that she isn’t bothered by the cold sore. “I don’t care!” she said, getting close to her webcam to show off the swollen red spot on her upper lip.
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Clarifying the situation, Cunningham explained that she thinks dry air is actually responsible for the cold sore. “So what it what it is, every time I go into different climates, my lips get so dry and for some reason I always get a cold sore,” she said. “But I also drank after a bunch of people and used a bunch of people’s Chapstick. I didn’t kiss anybody!”
Cunningham has had a busy month, first spending time in Missouri where she’s from for the holidays before going up to Indiana “to work out for a little bit.” She was currently in Houston, Texas, while filming the podcast remotely.
Fans and viewers had mixed opinions on the lighthearted moment, with some calling it authentic and others calling it unpleasant.
“How does the honesty somehow make it better?” said one fan, while another agreed, “Damn, Sophie, that’s one way to keep it real [laughing emoji, href=”https://parade.com/living/emoji-meanings”]” and a third wrote, “more athletes should be this real!”
On the other hand, one commenter wrote, “Shouldn’t this be a private matter?!” while another added, “Why does she feel the need to tell this to the world.”
Cunningham is likely joking about having HSV-1, a strain of the Herpes Simplex Virus that most often presents as cold sores on the mouth. According to Cleveland Clinic, the virus is contagious and stays dormant in your body for life until it flares up again, but the strain is extremely common, with the WHO most recently reporting that about 64% of the global population under the age of 50 already has it.
However, some outraged fans seem to think Cunningham is referring to the closely related HSV-2, the usual cause of genital herpes, which can also potentially cause cold sores. HSV-2 is considerably less common and more bothersome, with WHO estimating that about 13% of people aged 15–49 are infected.
The NIH reports that “Environmental triggers that cause HSV-1 reactivation in people include emotional stress, fever, UV exposure, hormonal changes, dental surgery and cranial trauma,” so it is possible that Cunningham’s frequent travel and associated stress are to blame.
This story was originally published by Parade on Jan 19, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
