Stephen A. Smith Says He Was Just Saying ‘What Most Men Think’ as Serena Williams Rant Sparks Intense Backlash
Somebody is double-talking …
ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith stirred controversy on “First Take” on Feb. 10 after suggesting that if he were Serena Williams’ husband, he would divorce her over her involvement in Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime performance of a diss track targeting Drake.
Smith didn’t hold back, stating, “If I’m married and my wife is going to join trolling her ex, go back to his ass. Because clearly, you don’t belong with me. What you worried about him for and you with me?”
His comments drew immediate pushback from fellow hosts on the show.
Ryan Clark, former NFL player, dismissed Smith’s stance, emphasizing, “If you with Serena Williams, you’re going to be a kept man anyway — don’t start that.”
Shannon Sharpe, former Broncos tight end, defended Williams’ husband, Alexis Ohanian, highlighting his successful background, stating, “I think he’s doing pretty well. He founded Reddit and then he sold Reddit for a big chunk of change. I think he OK.”
His colleagues were just the tip of the iceberg, as fans on social media blasted the journalist for his comments.
One person criticized him for being a “A 57 year old UNMARRIED man with a receding hairline who has never BEEN married” commenting on a happily married woman, asking how does he have a say in someone else’s marriage.
This prompted Smith to later defend his controversial comments, claiming they were meant as a joke and taken out of context.
“Please go back and look at exactly what I said. I was talking overall from a man’s perspective — highlighting what most men would think,” Smith clarified on X. “I didn’t utter a single disrespectful word about Serena. We were joking around on @FirstTake. Damn y’all! It’s not that serious.”
Please go back and look at exactly what I said. I was talking overall from a man’s perspective — highlighting what most men would think. I didn’t utter a single disrespectful word about Serena. No issues with folks getting upset of literal serious stuff one’s pissed about. This… https://t.co/JtKlUZs15R
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) February 12, 2025
“You disrespected Serena. And that’s okay lol geez,” one person said in response to Smith.
“You are a grifter Stephen A,” replied another fan. “You will never find love grifting and trying to appeal to The masses in such manner. You’re accomplished. But sad and lonely.”
“We don’t joke about a queen @serenawilliams so take those dusty takes to Hannity or something,” said a third.
Smith’s initial comments extended past the sports world with “The View” host Whoopi Goldberg.
“Why wasn’t it, ‘Damn, Serena was great’? Why is it about some ex-boyfriend she hasn’t thought of?” the EGOT questioned this week on “The View.”
“All you can think of is her ex-boyfriend? I don’t understand,” Goldberg added. “Why would you think she’s not smart enough? She got a chance to do something she wanted to do, and she went and did it.”
Drake’s connection to Williams dates back to 2011, with their relationship becoming more public in 2015.
Despite never confirming their relationship, Drake referenced their romance in his 2016 song “Too Good” and later took aim at Ohanian in his 2022 track “Middle Of The Ocean,” calling him a “groupie.”
Ohanian appeared unfazed by his wife’s performance (and any comments made about her), praising the halftime show as “pretty fantastic” and defending Williams’ controversial crip-walk dance move.
Pretty fantastic halftime show.
— Alexis Ohanian 🗽 (@alexisohanian) February 10, 2025
“Some of y’all have no idea how criticized Serena was for this same dance at Wimbledon 13 years ago and it shows…. This is bigger than the music,” Ohanian wrote on X, referencing previous criticism from The Week.
Some of y’all have no idea how criticized Serena was for this same dance at Wimbledon 13 years ago and it shows…. This is bigger than the music. pic.twitter.com/Xq4O96Yg0s
— Alexis Ohanian 🗽 (@alexisohanian) February 11, 2025
While Ohanian did not directly address Stephen A. Smith, he did have choice words for sports columnist Jason Whitlock, who referred to him as a “true beta.”
“I get it—you’re 57, and life didn’t turn out the way you imagined. That kind of disappointment must be exhausting,” Ohanian said in response to Whitlock. “You’re the embodiment of peaked in high school, spending decades chasing validation from strangers through Likes and Digital Hugs, only to find that no amount of external approval fills the void. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. Criticism only fuels your victim complex, reinforcing the comforting delusion that there’s some grand conspiracy against you and your ‘brave ideas’—when in reality, you’ve just got terrible takes. It’s a cycle: outrage, backlash, self-pity, repeat. This is a lonely road. There’s still time to rewrite the ending — start by working on yourself first. You’ll find that if you wake up every morning trying to be a little better, a little more curious, you won’t have time for irrational hating — you’ll be too busy winning.”
This incident underscored ongoing scrutiny Williams faces even post-retirement and ignited broader discussions on relationship dynamics, artistic expression, and the intersection of sports and entertainment in today’s social media-driven landscape.
It also points to the power of social media and how with enough pressure even the loudest mouths in media feel they have to respond when the backlash floods their timelines.
