Stephen A. Smith Receives Backlash On The Comments He Made On Superstar Rihanna
She is incredible.“Rihanna’s music is fantastic.”“She’s great.”“I love her dearly.”“I listen to her music. ”She’s going to do well. She is simply too fantastic to be bad. Imagine saying all those things about someone and then having to apologise. Stephen A. Smith experienced it on Wednesday after inciting Rihanna supporters.
On a chat show, Smith was questioned about his excitement for Rihanna’s forthcoming Super Bowl halftime concert.
Stephen A not getting invited back 💀💀 pic.twitter.com/swIWhRw4XK
— Stephen A. Smith Burner’s Burner Parody (@TheSASBBurner) January 18, 2023
Stephen A. Smith Receives Backlash On The Comments He Made On Superstar Rihanna
Smith praised the vocalist before adding, “There’s one thing she’s not. She’s not Beyonce, Smith dropped the comparison, because Beyoncé performed at the Super Bowl a few years ago.
“For ME, there’s Beyoncé and there’s everybody else,” Smith subsequently continued.
Ain't no way in hell the @dallascowboys beat @49ers ! pic.twitter.com/1IKcfNAZby
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) January 18, 2023
The audience was present when Smith began praising Rihanna, but as soon as he said something about Beyoncé, they began to gasp, shout, boo, and moan. The response was evidence of Stephen A.’s talent as a performer.
The “First Take” host posted a three-minute apology video after he said that Rihanna “ain’t no Beyonce” while discussing RiRi’s upcoming Super Bowl halftime performance on the “Sherri” show Wednesday.
Has been removed. My social management team will never make a mistake like this again. My apologies again to @Rihanna. And just to be clear, I’m a huge fan. Sherri and I were just having fun. That is all.
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) January 18, 2023
“I’m gonna own it,” Smith said in a video posted to Twitter and Instagram later that day. “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.
“… I’m a Beyonce fan,” Smith said in his apology video. “I think that Beyoncé is not only a phenomenal performer, but the phenomenal performer. The only reason any kind of comparison came into play is because Beyonce performed at halftime at the Super Bowl, not just by herself [in 2013], but one separate performance with Bruno Mars and Coldplay [in 2016] — and I thought those were two of the greatest shows that I’ve ever seen.
Apologies to Rihanna for my words, gotta be more careful! pic.twitter.com/RLcsaQAJ4v
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) January 18, 2023
“… I meant it as no disrespect to Rihanna. I know she is phenomenal and she is my sister. Nothing but love for her, but Beyonce is my sister too. I got love for the both of them. I just think that Beyonce is the greatest performer out there today. That’s me, that doesn’t mean I’m hating on anybody else and that doesn’t mean I’m damn well wishing for Rihanna to fail. I think she’s going to be great.”
Smith then apologized to Rihanna and wished her luck before she takes the Super Bowl halftime stage next month in Arizona.
Rihanna fans showing up to Stephen A. Smith’s House pic.twitter.com/THJBJpw8aw
— Blake Garman (@FrostedBlakes34) January 18, 2023
“Rihanna, go do your thing,” Smith said. “I apologize for creating whatever brouhaha comes of this. I gotta be more careful, where people twist it and turn it into something it ain’t. My bad on that.”
The comical aspect of this tale is how Stephen A. had to do one of those forced hostage-style apology tapes from the back of a huge SUV because Rihanna supporters were so incensed by him admitting he preferred Beyoncé.
FOR MORE NFL UPDATES-
Reports: Coach Sean Payton At least Wants $20 Million A Year On Return