Stephen A. Smith said First Take co-host Molly Qerim "abruptly resigned" from ESPN, effective immediately, after a decade with the network and the program.
Speaking on his Sirius XM show following Qerim’s Instagram announcement on Tuesday, Smith said he was caught off guard by the move and indicated that contract negotiations were at the center of the departure. He said ESPN did not want to lose Qerim but that she made the decision to walk away.
"To be blunt, it came as a shock. I was not aware that this is something that she was contemplating doing," Smith said. He read Qerim’s Instagram Story on the air and warned that the particulars of her decision were "none of y’all’s business," while adding that he had his own ideas and would not share them publicly. Smith called Qerim "a friend" and "a co-worker" and said he was "not happy about it" and "quite sad." He closed by wishing her well and saying "the love is always here."
Qerim announced on her Instagram Story that she was leaving First Take after joining the show as a host in 2015. Her post said the news "came out earlier than I intended" and ended with "Stay tuned" and a smiley face. Reports from Sports Business Journal said Qerim turned down ESPN’s offer for a new contract and would depart the Worldwide Leader at the end of the year, though her Instagram post framed the exit as immediate.
Molly Qerim joined ESPN in 2006 and has been a consistent presence on First Take for the past decade, moderating debates and serving as a central figure on the program. Burke Magnus, president of content at ESPN, issued a statement Tuesday saying Qerim had "been an integral part of ESPN since 2006 and a key driver of ‘First Take’s’ success since joining as host a decade ago." Magnus added that Qerim "elevated the show with her poise, skill and professionalism" and that the network respected her decision and wished her the best.
ESPN and Qerim have not confirmed when her final First Take appearance will be. Smith opened Tuesday’s First Take with a tribute to Qerim, acknowledging her contributions to the show and to his own on-air work. He said the program must move forward without her.
The immediate nature of Qerim’s announcement contrasted with reporting that her departure had been the subject of contract discussions. Smith declined to offer specifics about those negotiations, saying that the story of her decision "is for her to tell." Qerim did not detail her next steps beyond posting "Stay tuned," and as of Tuesday neither she nor ESPN announced a replacement or a timetable for the host transition.
Qerim’s exit marks the end of a long run at the network and removes a familiar presence from one of ESPN’s highest-profile daily programs. First Take, which frequently features on-air debates and rotating contributors, will continue its regular broadcasts while the network and the show’s producers determine how to adjust the hosting lineup in the months ahead.