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Stephen A. Smith is really good at ruffling feathers.
At first, it was just his hot sports takes and constant lambasting of the Dallas Cowboys, but his Stephen A’s World show and other appearances have him getting hate from more than just sports fans.
Now, Smith has even gotten on Jay-Z‘s nerves a bit.
On a recent episode of the Connect the Dots podcast, Smith reveals that Hov hit him up after making controversial statements comparing Beyoncé and Rihanna after the latter was announced to be the Super Bowl Half Time show performer.
Stephen A Smith said celebs and industry people stopped talking to him after he was on TV debating about Rihanna and Beyonce until Jay-Z gave him a call. pic.twitter.com/ZgLk7sC8WF
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod (@big_business_) March 5, 2024
Smith began by recapping his initial opinions, saying, “I love Rihanna. I bought her album, she gets my money. Mad love for her, wish her nothing but the best … But you do know there’s only one Beyoncé.”
He recalls “Hollywood stars” being irritated at his statements and how he hasn’t spoken to them since, but it was Hov that really changed the narrative months after the Super Bowl.
“A month later, Hov and I were on the phone,” he shared. “Hov was like, ‘My dog, you family, that’s family. That’s too close to say that.’ I said, ‘I didn’t know.’ He said, ‘I know.’ Done!” Smith recalls. “In other words, it’s a business, it’s a part of it, you don’t know how she’ll receive it, etc. etc. etc. That’s all he had to say. I appreciated that.”
It all began during a 2023 appearance on The Sherri Show, during which Smith pledged his allegiance to the Bey hive.
“There’s one thing she’s not, she ain’t Beyoncé,” he said. “The only reason I brought up Beyoncé is because Beyoncé recently performed at the Super Bowl.”
The sports pundit apologized shortly after making his initial comments, admitting that he should be more careful with his words since he has such influence over his millions of followers.
“See, I’m gonna own it. I know what y’all tryna do, but I’m gon’ own it because I get paid to speak for a living, so I need to be more careful,” he said. “I want Rihanna to know: you’re a superstar. You’re sensational. You’re spectacular. You’re no joke. And you are a worthy person to be doing the Super Bowl halftime show.”
See how social media’s reacting to Jay-Z checking Stephen A. Smith below.
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