ESPN First Take host Stephen A. Smith raised some eyebrows on Wednesday morning when he briefly addressed viewers asking about the relationship status of NFL reporter Kimberley A. Martin.
Martin, who has been with the network since 2020, was sitting near Smith at the desk with Chris “Mad Dog” Russo and Marcus Spears when Stephen A. jumped into the end of the discussion on Bills quarterback Josh Allen with a response to the inquiries.
“To the fellas out there: you can’t have her,” Smith said, Martin started looking at Stephen A. confused at first and then surprised he would bring that up as he continued. “You’re bums. You know you’re dogs. Stop texting me about trying to get with Kimberley Martin. It ain’t happening.”
Spears added that he was glad Smith mentioned it, because he told Martin he had also heard from viewers who wanted to know.
“I ain’t making no love connection,” he said.
Martin put her head down and Russo remained silent as Smith transitioned to tossing to commercial.
ESPN 630 host Andy Pollin on X, formerly Twitter, later that day wondered out loud why the network wouldn’t take issue with Smith bringing something like that up on the air.
“Guess (ESPN) doesn’t have an issue with their $12 million a year host turning a co worker into a sex object,” Pollin wrote. “She laughed…on the outside anyway.”
Smith on his podcast The Stephen A. Smith Show has not shied away from discussing relationships and romance, but the relationship status of talent isn’t something typically brought up on First Take.
