Overview
- On his Straight Shooter podcast, Stephen A. Smith replayed Cari Champion’s Instagram video and told her, "You should be ashamed of yourself."
- Smith asserted he helped bring Champion to First Take and said he expanded diverse voices on the show, while questioning her motives and referencing a meeting she sought about returning to ESPN.
- Michelle Beadle had criticized Smith for endorsing Papaya Gaming’s Solitaire Cash, saying she prays for his downfall as the company faces a federal lawsuit alleging rigged competitions.
- Smith said he has no relationship with Beadle and, in comments on SiriusXM, suggested some critics are on the outside of the industry because they failed to keep jobs.
- The feud has resurfaced debate over Smith’s 2014 ESPN suspension following his Ray Rice remarks, which Champion cited, keeping the dispute active across social and audio platforms.