Stephen A. Smith had to issue two apologies last week for his on-air comments that went too far.
The ESPN personality publicly apologized to NBA guard Iman Shumpert and actress Teyana Taylor for sharing false information regarding their divorce on an October episode of “The Culture Table” podcast, which is one of several podcasts produced by his Straight Shooter Media company.
Smith previously said that Taylor walked away from her divorce with $25 million and $10 million in properties, luxury cars and other assets, while Shumpert was left with $2 million and nowhere to live.
During a “special segment” entitled “setting the record straight” on his Straight Shooter Media YouTube on Saturday, Smith explained that he spoke with Taylor, who confirmed that his previous statements regarding her and Shumpert’s finances were “patiently false.”
“In the interest of fairness, accuracy, and decency, I believe it’s important to address what happened in connection with an October episode of ‘The Culture Table titled, ‘Can men trust women with their finances?’” Smith said before repeating his remarks on their divorce.
“Those statements were inaccurate and I want to sincerely apologize to both Iman Shumpert and Teyana Taylor.”
Smith, who descried the matter as “serious, sensitive and frankly uncomfortable,” said he personally apologized to Taylor and Shumpert.
“The information, just to be clear, was based on quotes and claims that are heavily circulating in media reports and on social media that were attributed to Iman Shumpert. The quotes attributed to him, however, were not his statements at all, and the financial figures presented were inaccurate.
“… I also regret that the segment may have left viewers with the impression that Iman had publicly disparaged the mother of his children. And I’m here to tell you that Teyana has informed me that those statements were not made by him at all.
Smith said that episode of “The Culture Table” has been taken down.
He added that his intent was not to focus on Taylor and Shumpert during a broader conversation about marriage and today’s financial climate.
“There’s a broader lesson here for all of us who consume media and social media,” he said. “What circulates online is not necessarily true as we all know. And a claim does not become a fact simply because it has been repeated or attributed to a public figure.
“I personally take pride in delivering product in the highest quality and that includes understanding that reports or statements made multiple times does not make it true. To Iman and Teyana, my sincere apologies sincerely. I respect the hell out of both of y’all.”
Smith also praised both Taylor and Shumpert for their respective career accomplishments.
Shumpert and Taylor were married in 2016 and their divorce was finalized in 2024. They shares two daughters: Iman “Junie” Tayla, 10, and Rue Rose, 5.
This wasn’t the only apology Smith issued on-air last week.
On Thursday, Smith walked back comments he made about Philadelphia Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson, who announced last week that he was retiring four games into the season to focus on his mental health and personal/family priorities.
Smith received backlash after saying that Johnson — a two-time Super Bowl champ, six-time Pro Bowler and two-time First-Team All Pro — was “gonna call it quits” mid-season.
