Stephen A. Smith is speaking out in defense of his longtime colleague, Shannon Sharpe, and claims that people have been targeting the Club Shay Shay host since his viral interview with Katt Williams last year.
“People have been after him since he did Katt Williams. They’ve been at his neck because of the numbers he produced and the success that it had and how he was able to ride that wave,” Smith said on Big Boy TV.
Sharpe’s interview with Williams has been viewed more than 88 million times.
Smith called out the way people have been reporting on Sharpe’s recent sexual assault lawsuit brought against him by an ex-girlfriend.
“I’m not talking about what people are talking about and what they have to talk about, I’m talking about the zest with which they do it. You see a joy that some people are having in going at him and that’s sad,” Smith added. “You can talk about it, but we know the difference, in terms of the flavor that you’re bringing to an equation where you’re talking about somebody with glee and joy in your voice when you’re talking about the kind of predicament they’re in. And that’s what I’ve got a problem with.”
Smith himself faced backlash last month after he trashed Sharpe’s legal team on his YouTube channel.
Sharpe has denied all allegations against him, despite offering Jane Doe $10 million to avoid a lawsuit. Doe is demanding $50 million.