Stephen A. Smith Apologizes for False Divorce Claims About Teyana Taylor and Iman Shumpert

Stephen A. Smith, the prominent ESPN personality, has issued public apologies for spreading inaccurate information concerning the divorce settlement between singer Teyana Taylor and former NBA player Iman Shumpert. Smith made the claims on an October episode of his podcast, "The Culture Table."

During a segment titled "setting the record straight" on his Straight Shooter Media YouTube channel on Saturday, Smith stated he had spoken with Taylor, who confirmed the financial details he had shared were "patently false." He had previously asserted that Taylor received $25 million and $10 million in assets, while Shumpert was left with $2 million and no housing.

"In the interest of fairness, accuracy, and decency, I believe it’s important to address what happened in connection with an October episode of ‘The Culture Table titled, ‘Can men trust women with their finances?'" Smith said. He reiterated his previous remarks on their divorce before stating, "Those statements were inaccurate and I want to sincerely apologize to both Iman Shumpert and Teyana Taylor."

Smith described the situation as "serious, sensitive and frankly uncomfortable" and confirmed he had personally apologized to both Taylor and Shumpert. He explained that the information he shared was based on circulating media and social media reports attributed to Shumpert, but that the attributed quotes were not his statements, and the financial figures were inaccurate. He also regretted that the segment might have implied Shumpert had publicly disparaged Taylor, stating that Taylor had informed him such statements were not made by Shumpert.

The episode of "The Culture Table" in question has since been removed. Smith emphasized that his intention was not to focus on Taylor and Shumpert but to discuss broader themes of marriage and the current financial climate.

"There’s a broader lesson here for all of us who consume media and social media," Smith said. "What circulates online is not necessarily true as we all know. And a claim does not become a fact simply because it has been repeated or attributed to a public figure."

Smith concluded by expressing respect for both Taylor and Shumpert and reiterated his sincere apologies.

Shumpert and Taylor were married in 2016, and their divorce was finalized in 2024. They have two daughters together.

This incident follows another instance last week where Smith had to retract comments made about Philadelphia Eagles player Lane Johnson, who recently announced his retirement to focus on his mental health. Smith faced backlash for his remarks about Johnson's decision to end his season early.