Popular Sports Broadcaster Stephen A. Smith is standing by his comments following Serena Williams' unexpected appearance during Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime performance. Williams, 42, made headlines by dancing onstage as Lamar performed Not Like Us, his chart-topping diss track aimed at Drake. Her involvement sparked debate, given her brief romance with the rapper in 2011. Smith questioned the moment, wondering why Williams would “be up there trolling your ex.” Smith defended his statement about wives entertaining exes. He tweeted: “If I’m married and my wife is out there trolling her ex, go back to him, ‘cause clearly you don’t belong with me.” His remarks sparked backlash across social media and even on television, with The View among the critics.
One response took direct aim at Smith. They tweeted: “A 57-year-old UNMARRIED man with a receding hairline who has never BEEN married mind you, saying he would divorce our greatest living athlete.” Stephen A. Smith fired back, urging people to rewatch his comments. “I was speaking from a man's perspective—highlighting what most men would think. I didn’t say anything disrespectful about Serena,” he wrote. “No issue with people getting upset over real stuff, but this doesn’t qualify. We were joking on First Take. Damn y’all! It’s not that serious.”
Stephen A. Smith & Serena Williams Beef
Williams, married to Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian, seemed unbothered by the controversy. She shared multiple clips of her performance on Instagram, embracing the attention. Ohanian and Williams share two daughters. Before the halftime show, Williams also took a moment to defend Taylor Swift. “I love you, Taylor Swift! Don’t listen to those boos!” Williams wrote on X.
Swift had little to celebrate that night. Her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, and the Kansas City Chiefs suffered a crushing 40-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. The defeat ended Kansas City’s hopes for a historic three-peat. Kelce, now facing a pivotal career decision, is expected to announce his plans before the start of free agency on March 12.
More: Serena Williams Finally Breaks Silence On Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Halftime Show Collaboration
[Via]
