On Wednesday, Stephen A. Smith was under fire for comments he made about Rihanna and her upcoming Super Bowl halftime show.
During an interview on the show “Sherri”, he made the comment that “Rihanna ain’t no Beyonce” when asked if he was excited about her performance. This sparked outrage from fans, who felt that he was disrespecting the singer.
In response to the backlash, Smith posted a video on Twitter and Instagram apologizing for his comments. He emphasized that he was a huge fan of both singers and that he was trying to draw a comparison between Beyonce’s two halftime performances, as she had already performed at the Super Bowl in 2013 and 2016.
Smith also stated that he had meant no disrespect to Rihanna, and expressed his wish for her to have a great performance.
He ended the video by wishing her luck and telling her to “go do her thing”. Although Smith received some criticism for his comments, he was praised for his sincere apology and for owning up to his mistake.
Stephen A. Smith is a well–known sports commentator and host of ESPN’s “First Take”. On Wednesday, he found himself in hot water after making comments about Rihanna and her upcoming Super Bowl halftime performance on the show “Sherri”. During the interview, he said that “Rihanna ain’t no Beyonce” which sparked outrage from fans, known as “The Navy”, who felt that he was disrespecting the singer.
Apologies to Rihanna for my words, gotta be more careful! pic.twitter.com/RLcsaQAJ4v
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) January 18, 2023
In response, Smith posted a three–minute apology video on Twitter and Instagram, where he emphasized that he was a fan of both singers.
He also stated that he meant no disrespect to Rihanna and that he was trying to draw a comparison between Beyonce’s two Super Bowl halftime performances. He ended the video by expressing his wish for her to have a great performance and telling her to “go do her thing”.
Smith’s apology was met with praise, as many appreciated his sincere apology and for owning up to his mistake. The controversy has since died down and fans are now eagerly awaiting Rihanna’s Super Bowl halftime show, which will take place next month in Arizona.