Stephen A. Smith is never short on words, but even he admits that the tense moment he shared with Serena Williams’ husband, Alexis Ohanian, on First Take could have gone very differently if it had happened in person. Appearing on The Pivot Podcast, Smith opened up about the now-viral confrontation and explained his side of the story, along with why he believes people misunderstood the intent behind his controversial remarks.
“Well, first of all, let’s go to that Alexis Ohanian, Serena Williams’ husband situation. It would’ve been an entirely different situation if I were in the studio. I was on remote, you’re not looking at the camera, you’re there to promote something on behalf of ESPN+. And don’t think for one second I’m going to let some petty spat get in the way of my money. That ain’t gonna happen. I was born at night, not last night.”
Smith was referring to the October 9 episode of First Take, when Ohanian confronted him live on air over comments Smith made months earlier about Serena’s surprise Super Bowl halftime appearance during Kendrick Lamar’s performance of “Not Like Us.” The song is widely seen as a jab at Drake, Serena’s rumored ex, and Smith had stirred controversy by joking that if his wife did that, he’d “divorce her.”
Ohanian, appearing as a guest to discuss business and sports, took his opportunity to respond directly. Smiling, he told Smith:
“Stephen A., I think you had some marriage advice for me. I was hoping you were going to be here… You hadn’t been married before, right? Cause I give advice to founders who want to build billion-dollar companies — and I do that because I’ve built billion-dollar companies. I generally try to stay in my lane.”
The exchange went viral almost instantly. Ohanian’s calm, precise delivery drew praise from fans who admired how he defended Serena without resorting to anger or insults. Meanwhile, Smith looked noticeably caught off guard, chuckling awkwardly before moving the show along.
Speaking on The Pivot, Smith made it clear that his comments were taken out of context and that the issue had been blown out of proportion. He went on to clarify what he actually meant.
“All I was saying was, as a man, if I’m married and my wife’s got the energy and the fervor to show up on Super Bowl Sunday and go on stage specifically to dance to a song that’s disrespecting her ex, my question would be, what’s that energy about? Ain’t you supposed to be happy with me?”
After the viral First Take moment, Smith later praised Ohanian for confronting him “like a gentleman” and called Serena “the greatest of all time.”
He admitted that Ohanian’s jab about staying in his lane was fair and said he respected how the tech entrepreneur handled the situation.
Still, Smith couldn’t resist adding that if the exchange had taken place in the studio rather than remotely, the tone might have been very different. The internet has largely sided with Ohanian, celebrating his poise and subtlety.
But in typical Stephen A. fashion, he turned the viral clash into a teachable moment, doubling down on his unapologetic honesty while insisting that, this time, his words were just misunderstood.
