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Michelle Beadle Condemns Stephen A. Smith Over Solitaire App Deal Tied to Bot Lawsuit

Her remarks follow Smith becoming Papaya’s ambassador for a World Solitaire championship tied to his viral NBA Finals phone moment.

Overview

  • Beadle said she is “praying for the downfall” of Smith on her Beadle and Decker podcast, calling his promotion of the app “gross.”
  • Papaya Gaming, owner of Solitaire Cash, faces a federal lawsuit that alleges rigged competitions, and an Oct. 27 judicial opinion stated it was undisputed the company used tailored bots to control tournament outcomes.
  • Papaya named Smith its official ambassador for the first World Solitaire Championship scheduled for February, and he posted an AI-generated ad referencing his viral moment.
  • Multiple ESPN personalities, including Mina Kimes, Dan Orlovsky, Laura Rutledge, and Kendrick Perkins, also endorsed the app, and the reports note they have not addressed the legal controversy.
  • Co-host Cody Decker criticized industry figures for promoting the product, and Beadle’s commentary comes against a backdrop of prior tensions with Smith over his SiriusXM show displacing her time slot.