During Monday’s installment of his “Straight Shooter” podcast, Stephen A. Smith responded to his former colleagues at ESPN, Michelle Beadle and Cari Champion, after they teamed up on social media to air him out. Smith could have ignored the two women. Instead, he took to his platform to directly address them with some venom about their professional conduct and career trajectories.
Michelle Beadle Reignites Beef With Stephen A. Smith Over Gaming App
Beadle is not a Stephen A. Smith fan. The previous host of ESPN’s “Sports Nation” and “Get Up”, has a history of emphatically expressing her dislike for him. So her criticism of Smith’s recent endorsement of an app, Papaya Gaming — which is battling a federal lawsuit accusing it of rigging games — is no surprise. Beadle stated on her podcast that she was “praying for his downfall.”
Stephen A. Smith Ruthlessly Responds To Michelle Beadle Criticism
Smith responded on his SiriusXM radio show by saying some people “talk smack now cause they can’t get a job in the business” and “didn’t do a good enough job when they were in the business.” The potential 2028 Presidential candidate suggested that such people who attack him in any way are just “desperate” for attention.
“You wanted my attention, you got it,” Smith said. “… I have not said a word about [Beadle] in over 11 years. Do y’all know? I don’t know her. You would think there is some beef that’s been going on that has been pervasive throughout the industry for years — it’s all because of her.
“… So when you hear her talking about me, please understand I don’t know her. I have no relationship with her. She says I don’t like her. How would you know? It has to be because of how you’re acting Michelle Beadle. It can’t be because of me… If I don’t like you, which is true now it is because of the multitude of times you’ve been on the attack.”
Smith was named the company’s official ambassador for the first ever World Solitaire Championship in February. Beadle blames ESPN for “creating this monster that’s bigger than you now” because the company “let [Smith] run rampant.” She added that the Worldwide Leader “pays him a gazillion dollars to get a lot of stuff wrong and yell” on-air.
Cari Champion Joins Michelle Beadle In Attacking Stephen A. Smith
As far as Cari Champion is concerned, her career was riding high as “First Take” host alongside Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless. She is the first woman to hold the mediator’s chair that was recently vacated by Molly Qerim, from 2010-2015. Stephen A. Smith brought her over from the Tennis Channel.
Champion called for the smoke when she responded to Beadle’s comments about Smith on social media over the weekend.
“I’m old enough to remember being on that show [‘First Take’] and getting in trouble based on some comments you said about women and whether or not they should know their place when it comes to abuse or non abuse — Ray Rice comes to mind, but I’m not gonna get into the details of all of that,” Champion said in a video on social media, which Smith replayed on his show.
“But Beadle just came for you yet again, like she did when I worked at ESPN. I wonder do you have that same smoke for her that you have for Jasmine Crockett, Michelle Obama, that you sometimes have for me and Jemele Hill.
“Do you have that same smoke? I’m sick of it. Keep the same energy and I call you and I root for… but you keep that same energy sir, for everybody.”
Smith Eviscerates former First Take Co-Host Cari Champion On “Straight Shooters” Podcast
In any event, going against Stephen A. Smith is not a wise move for anyone at this juncture. And he’s not giving too many passes.
“I’ve shown you nothing but love,” Smith said. “What are you talking about? You were hired at ‘First Take’ in large part because of me… When have I spoken against you?… That is a lie. Me, dogging Cari Champion? When?
“And if I did it, why did you call me and root for me? What are you sick of? Or did you just want the attention… I’m not going to be scared by women that I have loved on for many years… Y’all are talking without facts.”
Things got rocky when during the 2014 Ray Rice incident, Champion blindsided Smith by offering her own comments concerning his history with Beadle. Smith was very defensive in his rebuttal on his own social media and podcast platforms. That soured the relationship as Smith stated that he was “shocked and personally betrayed” by Champion’s remarks. This led him to question her motives.
RELATED: Ray Rice and Stephen A. Smith- The Manifestation of the Hypocrisy of Sports
“You were hired at First Take in large part because of me,” Smith stated, challenging Champion to provide evidence of him publicly criticizing her or their mutual former colleague Jemele Hill. Saying it’s “nothing but love.”
Champion has joined others in accusing Smith of not going after white people with the same fervor and vigor that he responds to Black women and other sports hosts.
Michelle Beadle and Stephen A. Smith Have Longstanding Beef
Back in June of 2025, Michelle Beadle was relieved of her duties with SiriusXM. The company officially parted ways with Beadle and Cody Decker of the “Beadle and Decker” radio show. Adding insult to injury, the network decided to replace the show on Mad Dog Sports Radio and award the time slot to Stephen A. Smith, a move Beadle says she felt disrespected and “blindsided” by in a conversation with Front Office Sports.
“’The Hollywood Reporter’ comes out — and there’s his (Stephen A. Smith’s) face. I was like, ‘I should have known.’ That was just kind of gross. I don’t care that we’re being replaced or what have you. It happens all the time. But a little respect would have been nice. Good Lord. I was totally blindsided. Just really embarrassed, to be honest.”
Beadle Was Clear With Her Feelings For Stephen A. Smith In 2019: “I don’t respect his work”
Beadle, who left ESPN in 2019, took some shots at Smith, saying that she had problems with the show “First Take” for years.
“I don’t respect his work. He doesn’t like me,” she said. “This goes back to the Ray Rice stuff. He made some really piggish comments on the air. I responded; he got suspended for like two weeks. I think that was sort of the beginning of the end for anything,” she said.
Stephen A. Smith Denies Intent To Take Beadle’s Time Slot
Smith addressed any notion that he sought out that time slot or to ambush anyone.
“I was told by SiriusXM to wait until this morning on ‘The Howard Stern Show to make the announcement.’ Whatever communication they had with anybody who’s there, where they’re staying, where they’re being moved to. Who’s staying, who’s going or whatever. It’s none of my business,” Smith said at the time.
He pretty much left Beadle alone after that, but she is intent on seeing him go down one day.
