ESPN Host Stephen A. Smith Issues Apology to Rihanna After Saying, 'She Ain’t Beyoncè'

Jan. 19 (UPI) — ESPN host Stephen A. Smith has apologized to Rihanna after disparaging her upcoming Super Bowl performance by saying, “She ain’t Beyoncè.”

When asked on Sherri Shepherd’s daytime talk show if he was excited about the upcoming performance, Smith said he thought the Bajan-born singer was “fantastic” and congratulated her on being a new mother. But the audience groaned when he said she couldn’t compare to Beyoncè.

Smith said initially that he only made the comparison because Beyoncè has performed at the Super Bowl in recent years.

Beyoncè performed at the Super Bowl twice — by herself in 2013 when she was joined by Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams in a reunited Destiny’s Child, and in 2018, when she performed her single “Formation” with Bruno Mars and Coldplay.

Via his Twitter account, Smith apologized after realizing that his words had created a controversy.

“I’m gonna own it. I know what y’all trying to do, but I’m gonna own it because I get paid to speak for a living, so I need to be more careful,” Smith said, noting the online backlash. “I want Rihanna to know, you’re a superstar, you’re sensational, you’re spectacular, you’re no joke and you are a worthy person to be doing the Super Bowl Halftime Show.”

Smith says that he is a Beyoncè fan and that he believes that Beyoncè’s shows, both solo and with Coldplay and Mars are two of the best ever.

“I just think Beyoncè is the greatest performer out there today,” Smith said. “That’s me. That doesn’t mean I’m hating on anybody else. Doesn’t mean I’m [expletive] sure wishing for Rihanna to fail, I don’t believe she’s going to fail. She’s going to be great.”

Apologies to Rihanna for my words, gotta be more careful! pic.twitter.com/RLcsaQAJ4v— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) January 18, 2023.
Smith ended the three-minute video by saying he was sorry that his poor choice of words generated the “brouhaha” that it had. “I gotta be more careful,” he said.

Neither Rihanna nor Beyoncè has responded to Smith or the backlash over his comments.

Rihanna has said that she wants her halftime show to be representative of her background and work.

“I want to incorporate a lot of culture,” she told Entertainment Tonight. “I want to incorporate a lot of different aspects of entertainment and things that I enjoy and bring it to the stage. I want to celebrate the music that I’ve made.”

Super Bowl LVII airs live from State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., on Sunday, Feb. 12 at 6:30 p.m. EST.