ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith is not backing down from his criticism of Serena Williams’ appearance during Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show. Smith initially took issue with Williams dancing onstage while Lamar performed his diss track, “Not Like Us,” aimed at Drake, whom Williams previously dated.
Stephen A. Smith Defends His Comments
During the Monday, Feb. 10 episode of First Take, Smith argued that Williams’ participation was inappropriate. “If I’m married and my wife is going to join trolling her ex, go back to his ass, ’cause clearly you don’t belong with me,” Smith said. His remarks sparked immediate backlash on social media, with many calling his take unnecessary and outdated.
One X user, @MediumSizeMeech, criticized Smith, writing, “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 who has been happily married for 8 years to her very rich and loving husband—keep quiet forehead.”
Smith responded directly, doubling down on his stance. “Please go back and look at exactly what I said. I was talking overall from a man’s perspective — highlighting what most men would think,” he posted on Tuesday, Feb. 11. “I didn’t utter a single disrespectful word about Serena. No issues with folks getting upset of literal serious stuff one’s pissed about. This doesn’t qualify peeps. Come on. We were joking around on @FirstTake. Damn y’all! It’s not that serious.”
Williams’ Husband Responds
While Smith and social media debated the issue, Williams’ husband, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, supported his wife’s appearance. “Pretty fantastic halftime show,” Ohanian posted on X after the game. The following day, he added, “Some of you have no idea how criticized Serena was for this same dance at Wimbledon 13 years ago, and it shows.”
Williams, who faced backlash in 2012 for doing a crip walk after winning Olympic gold, also commented on her performance. “Man I did not crip-walk like that at Wimbledon. Oh, I would’ve been fined,” she said, adding, “It was all love.”
Despite the controversy, Smith continues to defend his perspective, showing no signs of retracting his comments.