ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith has officially put forth an apology after igniting millions of fans across the internet and beyond in controversy after pitting Rihanna and Beyonce against each other with regard to Rihanna’s upcoming Super Bowl halftime performance. In an apology for his earlier comments, Smith has stated that he’s “got love for both [Rihanna and Beyonce]” and “meant no disrespect to Rihanna.”
With pop idol Rihanna recently announced to be performing at the halftime show of Super Bowl LVII in February, sports fans and music fans alike are buzzing with excitement, including Sherri Shepard, host of the talk show Sherri, who had ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith as a guest yesterday to discuss his thoughts on Rihanna’s halftime show.
When asked about his thoughts on Rihanna being chosen for the show, Stephen Smith gave the following statement:
“I don’t want to say I’m not excited,” he said. “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.”
With a roar of booing from the audience – most of whom were women, according to Sherri’s audience demographics and Sherri Shephard herself – ESPN commentator Smith was quick to defend his statement, saying that “The only reason I brought up Beyonce is because Beyonce recently performed at the Super Bowl. And without Bruno Mars and Coldplay.”
Here Smith pays homage to Beyonce’s 2013 performance at XLVII, where the pop icon took the stage with Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams from Destiny’s Child. Billboard reports that Beyonce’s 2013 performance drew in over 104 million viewers for the halftime show alone. The performance has become one of Beyoncé’s most well-known performances ever, which is saying a lot because it’s Beyonce. Three years after her first performance, Beyonce would take the stage again for Super Bowl 50 in 2016, this time joining Bruno Mars and Coldplay onstage.
ESPN Commentator Stephen A. Smith Raises Feud With Rihanna vs. Beyoncé Comments
Fans of both Rihanna and Beyonce were reportedly infuriated by Stephen A. Smith’s comments, and earlier today, Sherri Shephard referenced the incident by saying, “There’s just certain things you don’t talk about…politics, religion and Rihanna vs. Beyonce.”
“Stephen A., he’s used to being on his show First Take,” she said, “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.’ “
Admittedly, Stephen A. Smith is one of ESPN’s best commentators. While he has risen to fame because of his hot takes on everything sport, Deadline points out that there’s a chasm of difference between comparing two sports teams and two performers in the subjective world of music, “especially when those performers are two Black women in an industry which still struggles with racism and sexism.” With the backlash against his earlier comments growing by the minute, ESPN’s Stephen Smith has apologized not once but twice, both with a video and a Twitter thread, where Smith explains that an “overzealous” member of his management team got ahold of his Twitter account and “posted something I’d never say about Rihanna, her fans, or any other artist.”
Horrific mistake. Something that was suppose to be a fun moment on the Sherri Shepard show has gotten out of hand. An overzealous member on my MGMT team — which has access to my account — posted something I would NEVER say about @rihanna, her fans or any other artist. The post…
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) January 18, 2023
“I meant it as no disrespect to Rihanna,” Smith told FOX News. “I know she’s phenomenal and she’s my sister. Nothing but love for her, but Beyonce is my sister, too. I got love for both of them.”
Rihanna’s halftime performance will take place during Super Bowl LVII on February 12th, 2023. What do you think of ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith’s comments on Rihanna vs. Beyonce? Do you have an opinion on who will perform better? Let us know in the comments!