Stephen A. Smith Now Says He Was “Joking” About Serena Williams Super Bowl Halftime Show Appearance

Source: Aaron M. Sprecher / Getty / Stephen A. Smith

Screaming Stephen A. Smith is now claiming he was messing around with his comments about Serena Williams’ cameo during Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show performance.

Smith was one of the many voices that had something to say about Williams’s participation during the performance. At the time he addressed it, he was not feeling it.

Williams’ participation was one of several “easter eggs” throughout Lamar’s brilliant performance. The 23-time Grand Slam winner used to date Drake, who was the subject of Kendrick Lamar’s Grammy Award-winning diss record “Not Like Us.” When Lamar finally performed the song, Williams popped up on screen, crip-walking for all 133 million viewers to see.

During a taping of ESPN First Take, Smith expressed his disgust for the moment.

“If I’m your husband, I’m thinking, ‘Why are you up there trolling him — trolling your ex?’” Smith said on Monday. “If I’m married, and my wife is going to troll her ex — go back to his ass. Because clearly you don’t belong with me. What you worried about him for — and you with me? Bye. Bye.”

Stephen A. Smith Claims He Was Joking

His comments earned him a social media dragging, and he eventually clarified via his X account that he was “joking.”

“Please go back and look at exactly what I said. I was talking overall from a man’s perspective — highlighting what most men would think. I didn’t utter a single disrespectful word about Serena. No issues with folks getting upset of literal serious stuff one’s pissed about. This doesn’t qualify peeps. Come on. We were joking around on @FirstTake. Damn y’all! It’s not that serious.” 

Please go back and look at exactly what I said. I was talking overall from a man’s perspective — highlighting what most men would think. I didn’t utter a single disrespectful word about Serena. No issues with folks getting upset of literal serious stuff one’s pissed about. This… https://t.co/JtKlUZs15R

— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) February 12, 2025

It didn’t sound like he was joking when he said. Still, users on X reminded him that Serena Williams didn’t need the opinion of an unmarried man.

You can see those reactions in the gallery below.