Former ESPN commentator Jemele Hill said she appreciates Stephen A. Smith’s impact at the network they both once worked for, but she also believes he too often takes unwarranted credit for elevating the careers of women — particularly Black women — who have worked alongside him.
During an appearance on The Dan Le Batard Show, Hill emphasized that she holds no personal or professional grudge against Smith. Instead, she said her concerns center on how he publicly frames his influence within the company.
“I think a lot of people think that I have some negative opinion of Stephen A., which I don’t,” Hill said. “I think he’s done remarkable. He’s had a remarkable professional career. As a Black man, being the face of ESPN, that is really encouraging for younger Black journalists who are aspiring to be in these positions of authority and ownership. He’s been able to give them an example of what’s possible.”
However, Hill explained that her discomfort grows when Smith discusses the success of women at ESPN. According to her, he sometimes positions himself as responsible for their advancement. She said this does not reflect how those opportunities actually came about.
“The part that sometimes made me cringe about him is that it just felt like sometimes when he’s discussing women, especially Black women, he puts a lot of cap on in terms of how he built our careers,” Hill said. “I’ve heard him refer to building my career before. That was weird of him to say.”
Hill’s comments follow Smith responding to criticisms of his career from another fellow ESPN teammate, Michelle Beadle. During a 69 minute rant on YouTube, Smith also took his aim at his former teammates Cari Champion and Hill saying he was primarily responsible for bringing Champion to ESPN, despite the opinions of Bayless and others.
Champion left ESPN in 2020. She has since worked for CNN and Amazon, as well as hosted a show alongside Hill on Vice TV.
Hill pointed to her own experience with Smith’s former ESPN program Quite Frankly as an example. She appreciated the invitation to appear. However, she said it misrepresents the timeline to suggest Smith played a key role in her rise at the network.
“I was able to be on the show Quite Frankly, which I greatly appreciated,” Hill said. “But when I was on Quite Frankly, I was already talking to ESPN about being at ESPN. So he’s just taking this weird ownership of my career that just makes me cringe a little bit. He’s done it with Monica McNutt, and Cari Champion. Why are [you] putting 100 on 10? You don’t need to do that, and I think it’s kind of unbecoming.”
Even with her critiques, Hill stressed again that she does not hold any personal animosity toward Smith. Rather, she hopes he is willing to hear and understand why some colleagues find his comments uncomfortable.
“I have no animosity for Stephen A. or have any beef with Stephen A. I hope that he’s able to accept some of the critiques that people have, because I think some of them are fair,” Hill said.
Her remarks come as Smith continues to lead First Take and expand his own media ventures, while remaining one of ESPN’s most influential and visible personalities.
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