‘Talking Trash About Another Black Man’: Stephen A. Smith Bashed as ‘Angry Stereotype’ In Explosive Audio from Alleged ESPN Producer
An ESPN producer has allegedly been recorded describing sports commentator Stephen A. Smith as an “angry Black man” in leaked audio obtained by the right-wing operative O’Keefe Media Group.
The recording, reportedly from an anonymous source, captures Ryan Bertrand, an assignment editor and producer for ESPN and Sports Center, blasting Smith’s on-air persona and presentation style at the major sports network.
The recording comes amid ongoing discussions about representation in sports media.
“We have this one guy. His name is Stephen A. Smith,” an individual alleged to be Bertrand says in the recording. “He plays the angry Black man on TV. The angry Black man stereotype is basically, you’re loud, you talk over people. What you say is not necessarily important. It’s more how loud you are and how you deliver your speech. He does that pretty well.”
According to the leaked audio, Bertrand said that Smith kisses up to network executives. He also questions Smith’s expertise on matters outside of sports, particularly taking issue with the commentator’s political commentary.
“He goes on Fox News probably like once a week, and he’ll talk about, like, Gaza. And he has no idea about Gaza, talking about his news on Gaza,” Bertrand continues in the recording. “We’re like, brother, you were just talking about the Lakers three hours ago. What do you know about Gaza?”
The recording also references a recent confrontation between Smith and LeBron James. The incident occurred during a Los Angeles Lakers game against the New York Knicks on March 6 at Crypto.com Arena. James was recorded stepping to Smith courtside regarding comments Smith had made about James’ son, Bronny, suggesting the younger James’ NBA presence was more due to nepotism than athletic merit and that the father is drawing too much attention to the son.
ESPN LEAKS: OMG Obtains Audio of @ESPN Producer Calling @stephenasmith an “Angry Black Man,” Says Staff “Think He’s Crazy” and “Has No Idea” About Politics
Amid Smith’s ongoing discussions about the Middle East, leaked audio reveals an ESPN producer questioning his credibility… pic.twitter.com/a0twbLJFPa
— James O’Keefe (@JamesOKeefeIII) March 21, 2025
“Stephen A. had been talking about LeBron’s son for a while,” Bertrand allegedly states. “LeBron then confronted him at a game one time, and then ever since that, Stephen A’s been on four different podcasts, basically like, ‘I thought it was a weak move, coming up to me and whatnot.’”
Bertrand further describes Smith as a “grifter” whose primary role is creating controversy. The producer suggests this sentiment is shared among ESPN staff, who reportedly grow weary of Smith’s repeated criticisms of LeBron James and question his knowledge on political matters.
“It’s just this embarrassing thing that we’re all rolling our eyes at,” Bertrand allegedly adds. “They (ESPN staff) just think he’s crazy, just trying to create attention, you know? Which is his job, I guess. He gets paid a lot of money to do that.”
ESPN staffers have not confirmed the veracity of the soundbite, though the credibility of the source raises questions. On March 21, the audio clip was shared as an exclusive by James O’Keefe III, far-right conservative and founder of O’Keefe Media Group. O’Keefe is also the founder of Project Veritas, a far-right activist group known for producing secret recordings and undercover sting operations targeting their political rivals in an effort to discredit them.
Despite the questionable source, Bertrand has since deactivated his LinkedIn and made his X account private. However, that did not stop observers from weighing in, many of which were in defense of Stephen A.
“This guy is corny, sounds like he’s out at a bar and was scammed into spewing work drama to a woman who was secretly recording him. Pillow talking and cutting another man down in order to lift himself up.. speaks more about him than it does Stephen A,” one person said.
Another person hated that it was a Black person bashing another Black person.
Nothing that he said was untrue.
Also, you don’t get to play with victim game with SAS, who’s made millions running down other black men.
— 👊🏿 Hotep X ✊🏿 (@HotepX1) March 22, 2025
One X user followed up, “I never said he lied. My issue is talking shxt about your fellow black man to white ppl at work.”
One comment focused on the company, writing, “ESPN is going to really wish this audio recording had not come out,” understanding how much the parent company, Disney, likes to steer clear of this kind of drama.
Still others focused on the bigger picture, the former sports journalist brings value to the network and that counts for something, particularly as the highest-paid personality at ESPN.
One tweeted, “SAS just got a 5 year 100 million dollar deal. Clearly what he says has value. Unlike this guy who’s probably already sending out resumes.”
The timing of this leak follows Smith’s recent public reconsideration of his stance on Bronny James. After the younger James scored a career-high 17 points in a recent game against the Milwaukee Bucks, Smith praised his development and potential, seemingly softening his earlier criticisms.
As of publication, neither ESPN nor Stephen A. Smith has issued an official response to the alleged recording. Given Smith’s history of addressing controversial topics directly, many anticipate he may address these allegations on an upcoming episode of “The Stephen A. Smith Show.”
