Larry King's estranged wife Shawn had "no idea" her marriage to the broadcaster was in crisis.

Larry, 85, filed for divorce from Shawn last month and, in an emotional interview with Britain's Daily Mail newspaper, the 59-year-old confessed she "was crushed" by the news.

"I had no idea that this was coming, it hurt yeah," she admitted, adding, "I was totally blindsided."

The couple, who wed in 1997, share sons Chance, 20, and 19-year-old Cannon. And Shawn reflected that after 22 years of marriage, she "never expected to be at this place in her life".

"I don't think, again I'm not in Larry's head, I refuse to believe that he intended to humiliate me," she said of the public split. "It's strange, I can't quite wrap my head around it, but it is what it is… it hurts."

Speaking about the former Larry King Live host, who has been married six times previously, Shawn added: "Larry has a very strong personality, Larry does what Larry wants, that doesn't mean that I can't disagree with him because I have and I do and will continue for as long as we are on this earth.

"I'm not here to diss Larry at all, what's most important to me is our boys and that they don't get hurt anymore."