Stephen A. Smith Apologizes Repeatedly For Rihanna Vs. Beyoncé Comment

20.01.2023 - 00:49 / deadline.com

“There’s just certain things you don’t talk about,” said Sherri Shepherd on her syndicated talker today. She then indicated those verboten topics are “politics, religion and Rihanna vs. Beyoncé.”

Comments by ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith to Shepherd on that last subject yesterday ignited a firestorm of protest from not just the Sherri studio audience, but also from Rihanna’s fan base.

Here’s part of what the First Take star said. For context, Smith was asked for his thoughts about Rhianna’s upcoming Super Bowl Halftime performance.

I don’t want to say I’m not excited. She’s fantastic. That’s not where I’m going with this. She’s a lot of things. She’s spectacular. And congratulations on new mama hood. There’s one thing she’s not: She ain’t Beyoncé. [Audience boos] The only reason I brought up Beyoncé is because Beyoncé recently performed at the Super Bowl. And without Bruno Mars and Coldplay.

For Smith, who is ESPN’s highest-paid personality precisely because of such hot takes, comparing two superstar musicians and choosing one over the other likely seemed like good TV. But there’s a difference between comparing and ranking performers in an inherently competitive arena like sports and comparing and ranking performers in the more subjective realm of entertainment. Especially when those performers are two Black women in an industry which still struggles with racism and sexism. Today, Shepherd put her finger on one of those hot buttons.

“Stephen A., he’s used to being on his show First Take,” the Sherri host observed, “and he’s used to a bunch of men. But he ain’t never got in front of an audience of women. When he did it, I was like ‘Oooooohhh.’ “

For his part, Smith apologized not once but twice.

First, he posted a