Stephen A. Smith Apologizes For Dissing Rihanna Over Super Bowl

Source: Cindy Ord / Getty

Stephen A. Smith is saying sorry for downplaying Rihanna’s highly anticipated performance at the Super Bowl LVII Halftime show. The ESPN analyst was on the Sherri show yesterday, and he said there was someone else he felt was head and shoulders above the 34-year-old Grammy award winner.

“There’s one thing she’s not, she ain’t Beyoncé,” Smith shared. And as the audience groaned, he proceeded to explain why he made the comment. “The only reason I brought up Beyoncé is because Beyoncé recently performed at the Super Bowl.”

However, Sherri Shepherd pushed back. She hinted at the fact that it will be seven years since that Beyoncé show. Plus, Rihanna’s latest step into motherhood could mean fans see a whole other side of the artist on Feb. 12, 2023. But Smith doubled down on his stance instead.

“That’s not throwing shade on them,” he responded. “That’s appreciating their greatness but understanding there’s levels. And Rihanna’s music is fantastic, she’s great, she’s a sister, I love her dearly, I listen to her music, I’m gonna support her ’til the cows come home. I’m just telling you [that] for me, there’s Beyoncé, and [then] there’s everybody else!”

But after recording an episode of the ESPN program First Take later that day, Smith said there were multiple newsfeeds taking his statement and running with it. So he immediately got onto his social media platforms to clear the air and address the Barbadian beauty.

“I’m gonna own it. I know what y’all trying to do, but I’m gonna own it because I get paid to speak for a living, so I need to be more careful,” he said during his three-minute apology. “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.”

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