what did michelle beadle say about stephen a smith

Michelle Beadle has repeatedly criticized Stephen A. Smith, saying she does not respect him or his work and even that she is “praying” for his downfall, especially over his ESPN work and a controversial solitaire app deal. She has also tied her dislike of him back to his past on-air comments around the Ray Rice domestic violence case and to losing her SiriusXM slot to him.

What Michelle Beadle Said

• On her podcast, Beadle said she is “not a religious person” but is “praying for the downfall” of Stephen A. Smith, calling his solitaire app partnership “gross” and questioning his principles.

• She has said directly that she does not respect him, does not respect his work, and would never share a set with him again because she does not respect him as a colleague.

• Beadle has accused him of not really caring about the sports topics he covers despite being paid “a gazillion dollars” to talk about them.

Background Of Their Beef

• Beadle has linked her issues with Smith back to his comments during the Ray Rice domestic violence saga, describing his remarks as “piggish” and saying her public pushback coincided with his suspension and the beginning of the end of any working relationship.

• She has also expressed resentment over losing her SiriusXM time slot to Smith and has criticized how he has treated former colleagues like Max Kellerman, framing it as part of why she “doesn’t respect” him.

Recent “Praying For His Downfall” Moment

• In late 2025, Beadle went viral after ripping Smith’s role in promoting a solitaire/gaming app deal, calling the company “fraudulent crap” and saying the whole thing lacked ethics and principles.

• In that same stretch, she reiterated that she loathes him professionally, portraying him as someone who chases money and attention rather than caring about the integrity of his coverage.

How Stephen A. Responded

• Smith has said there has “never been any real relationship” between them, claiming he has barely spoken to Beadle and doesn’t “know this woman at all.”

• He has pushed back hard on her criticism of his work ethic and character, calling her attitude “evil,” saying he knows why she is no longer at big networks, and promising never to share a set with her again.

• Smith has framed Beadle as a former colleague who now “talks smack” because she is no longer successful in the industry and uses criticism of others to get attention and clicks.

Multiple Viewpoints

• Supporters of Beadle argue she is calling out what she sees as hypocrisy and unethical behavior, especially around the gaming deal and Smith’s huge platform at ESPN.

• Supporters of Smith say Beadle is bitter over career setbacks and that her “praying for his downfall” crosses a line into personal animosity rather than fair media criticism.

• Neutral observers often see it as a long-running workplace rift that reflects bigger tensions in sports media about power, ethics, and how star personalities are treated.

TL;DR: Michelle Beadle has said she doesn’t respect Stephen A. Smith, slammed his ethics and work, and even said she’s “praying” for his downfall over things like his solitaire app deal and past comments, while Smith has fired back by dismissing her, questioning her career and attitude, and vowing never to work with her again.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.