Stephen A. Smith is weighing in on Shannon Sharpe’s exit from ESPN, a network Smith has worked closely with for years. The “First Take” host took to his YouTube and iHeartRadio show to share his thoughts on Sharpe, saying that he will indeed “miss” seeing Sharpe on “First Take” with him.
As we reported, Sharpe announced on Thursday that “at this juncture,” he decided to “step aside temporarily” from his duties at ESPN. Sharpe is currently being sued by his former girlfriend for $50 million for alleged sexual abuse amid their two-year relationship, causing a bit of a media frenzy surrounding the former NFL player and media personality.
On Smith’s show, he said, “When the news came down that he and ESPN had mutually agreed that he would need to come off the airwaves of ESPN, it was a blow, a blow to the show, a blow to me personally, because I’m going to miss him, but it was not a surprise,” as Deadline reports.
Smith explained that working for a company like Disney, which owns ESPN, means there is a certain expectation. “He was working at Disney,” Smith detailed. “I’ve been at Disney since October of 2003. I know this place. I know the worldwide leader that is ESPN ... it wasn’t difficult for me to figure out what was transpiring.”
As we reported, an ESPN spokesperson shared a statement in support of Sharpe’s decision moments after it was released. “This is a serious situation, and we agree with Shannon’s decision to step away,” the statement reads. “While nothing about the verbiage of either statement confirms a permanent departure, his return certainly feels up in the air.”
Smith added when discussing the matter, “ESPN and Disney have a wait and see attitude when it comes to whatever evidence they may learn about this entire situation involving Shannon Sharpe from a legal, from a civil perspective.”
Naturally, people have taken to social media with their thoughts on what Smith has said about Sharpe. One user wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, “Stephen A is lowkey happy this happened—he sees him as competition, already benefited from him, and this is the perfect way to part ways.”
Other comments don’t necessarily see the situation in that same way, with another user writing that Smith does not throw Shannon Sharpe “under the bus.” It reads, “He said he doesn’t believe Shannon did this at all.”
Time will tell whether or not Sharpe will return to “First Take” in the coming weeks or at all.