Stephen A. Smith Feels Shannon Sharpe Was Targeted

As Shannon Sharpe is dealing with heavy sexual assault allegations, his First Take co-host Stephen A. Smith is defending him and raising the idea that Sharpe being hit with the allegations and some media reactions aren’t coincidental. “People have been after him since he did Katt Williams,” Smith said during his appearance on the Big Boy’s Neighborhood radio show. “They’ve been at his neck because of the numbers he produced and the success that it had and how he was able to ride that wave,” he added.

The ESPN personality was referring to the viral episode of the Club Shay Shay podcast, which aired last January featuring the comedian delivering unfiltered views on his career and other celebrities, drawing millions of viewers. “I’m not talking about what people are talking about and what they have to talk about, I’m talking about the zest with which they do it,” Smith continued, commenting on the growing public conversation about the allegations. “You see a joy that some people are having in going at him and that’s sad. You can talk about it, but we know the difference, in terms of the flavor that you’re bringing to an equation where you’re talking about somebody with glee and joy in your voice when you’re talking about the kind of predicament they’re in. And that’s what I’ve got a problem with.”

Sharpe, an NFL player turned analyst, was hit with a $50 million lawsuit by a victim known as Jane Doe who accused him of sexually assaulting her after they started dating in 2023. Shortly after that was publicized, another woman stepped forward to allege that the 56-year-old assaulted her in the past. Sharpe has since stepped away from his co-hosting duties on First Take.

“To see the great things that he has been doing and to know the potential is out there for all of this to be derailed, I’m incredibly sad for him,” Smith said, touching on how this could impact Sharpe’s career and First Take. “I’m sad for us as a show ’cause we’re better with him than without him, but right now, it’s about him getting his house in order and doing what he can to get past all of this.”

Check out the entire interview above.