Stephen A. Smith Admits He's Been Struggling In 2026

Stephen A. Smith is having a tough year.

The star of ESPN's "First Take," who is one of the faces of the Worldwide Leader in Sports, has been going through a lot as he's faced criticism from all sides. Smith, who has been getting more and more involved in politics, speaking out on social and economic issues, has faced scrutiny for his comments. He's also faced criticism from the Black community. Kevin Hart ripped Smith during his Netflix roast.

Hart included Smith on his "Mt. Rushmore of racism." The other members were Shane Gillis, Kid Rock and Hulk Hogan. Gillis was in attendance at the roast, while Kid Rock and Hulk Hogan have long been targets of the left.

Smith took issue with the comment from Hart, because he thought they were friends.

"I have no issue with the joke if it was a joke. If it wasn't a joke, I still wouldn't have an issue with it," said Smith. "I have an issue with the fact that it came from him, somebody that I kind of know a little bit, that got a lot of love and respect for."

Smith opened up about why the joke stung.

The ESPN personality admitted that he's "taken a lot of heat because of perceived positions that I may have had," and that "at a time in my life, knowing I've spent my life fighting on behalf of my community, that people try to continue this narrative about me that I know is false, but that nevertheless still hurts to hear out of the mouth of anyone who knows me."

Smith opens up about 'very difficult' year

Smith made it clear that it's been a hard year.

"I'm not gonna front and ignore and fail to acknowledge that this year has been very, very difficult for me," said Smith. "From the standpoint that even though I've been very, very blessed and fortunate to secure my future in ways that I never thought imaginable, first at ESPN and then here at SiriusXM, the flip side to that is that I've taken a lot of heat because of perceived positions that I may have had. And as a result, you've had some people from the Democratic Party who don't know that I'm aware of the steps and the lengths that they've been willing to go through to silence me, even though I'm somebody that has religiously voted Democrat and I support most Democratic views."

Smith likely won't get a ton of sympathy here, but it's interesting to hear him opening up.

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This story was originally published May 31, 2026 at 6:10 PM.