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Stephen A. Smith blasted for flirting with Chiney Ogwumike: 'Turned me on'
TL;DR
Stephen A. Smith faced backlash for flirtatious comments towards Chiney Ogwumike during an ESPN broadcast. His remarks about being turned on by her speaking French have sparked criticism online.
Key points
- Stephen A. Smith made flirtatious comments about Chiney Ogwumike.
- He expressed excitement over her speaking French.
- His remarks have drawn significant online backlash.
Stephen A. Smith blasted for flirting with Chiney Ogwumike: 'Turned me on' originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The internet is not happy about Stephen A. Smith's recent comments about Chiney Ogwumike.
Ogwumike is an analyst on ESPN alongside Smith and while she was talking aboutĀ NBA star Rudy Gobert, she spoke a little in French as he was born there. However,Ā Ogwumike's speaking French seemed to get Smith excited.
"I've got to get a little personal for a second here, Chiney," Smith said on Friday's episode ofĀ First Take. "Listen, I'm leaving the life. I'm pretty damn happy to say the last. But, I must admit, in all my years on this earth, I've never dated a woman from France or anything like that, but after hearing Chiney, what have I been missing? What have I been missing?"
He added, "That verbiage right there, that kind of turned me on."
Ogwumike responded to the moment by covering her face and laughing it off.
Several fans took the interaction as harassment, and some have even called for Smith to be fired after the comment.
"HR calling an emergency meeting after this," a fan wrote under an X post of the clip.
A fan thought others were looking into the clip too deep.
"Stephan [sp] A Knows how to keep the Show fresh," the fan wrote on X. "There was nothing overly sexual to that it was friendly flirting and keep the Show lively Stephan A Smith understand TV he knows you canāt follow no bulls--t TV rules you have to make people want to watch."
Another fan wrote on X, "This kind of massive overstepping is exactly why female analysts constantly struggle for respect. A male anchor openly declaring he is turned on by a female colleague highlights how women are still fundamentally viewed as basic entertainment rather than equal peers."
"This isnāt funny at all. Just utterly unprofessional and inappropriate," another fan reacted to the clip on X.
So far, neitherĀ Ogwumike nor Smith has reacted to the viral moment.
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Q&A
What did Stephen A. Smith say about Chiney Ogwumike?
Stephen A. Smith commented that Chiney Ogwumike's speaking French 'turned him on' during a discussion on ESPN.
Why are people criticizing Stephen A. Smith's comments?
People are criticizing Smith for his inappropriate flirtation with Ogwumike, which many found unprofessional and disrespectful.
What show were Stephen A. Smith and Chiney Ogwumike on when the comments were made?
The comments were made during an episode of ESPN's *First Take*.