Stephen A. Smith issued a public apology to singer Teyana Taylor and former NBA player Iman Shumpert after admitting he broadcast false information regarding the couple’s divorce settlement.
The controversy stems from an October episode of “The Culture Table,” a podcast produced by Smith’s Straight Shooter Media. During the broadcast, Smith alleged that Taylor had secured a massive financial victory in the split, claiming she walked away with $25 million in cash and an additional $10 million in real estate and luxury assets.
Smith further claimed that Shumpert was left with only $2 million and was effectively homeless following the legal proceedings. The ESPN personality also shared quotes he claimed were from Shumpert regarding the lopsided nature of the settlement. “Those statements were inaccurate, and I want to sincerely apologize to both Iman Shumpert and Teyana Taylor,” Smith said in a statement retracting the claims.
He noted that he spoke personally with Taylor, who confirmed the figures and details circulating online were entirely fabricated. Smith admitted that the quotes he attributed to Shumpert were not authentic and that his team had failed to properly vet the information, which had been pulled from unverified social media posts and media reports. “The quotes attributed to him, however, were not his statements at all, and the financial figures presented were inaccurate,” Smith said.
He expressed regret for the lapse in journalistic standards at his media company. Smith took full responsibility for the error. He emphasized that his platform has a duty to ensure all information is properly sourced and acknowledged that they did not meet that standard in this instance.
Taylor and Shumpert, who married in 2016 and share two daughters, have been the subject of intense public scrutiny since Taylor announced their separation.
Smith concluded his correction by stating he had reached out to both parties to offer his apologies directly. Taylor and Shumpert have not yet issued formal public responses to Smith’s correction.
