As he’s continued to grow in stature, Stephen A. Smith has become the face of sports media for a lot of people. Always animated with his opinions, he hasn’t shied away from any controversies or developments in the world of sports.
During his time as a sports media pundit on the air, he has shared the desk with a variety of individuals. However, one of his longest-running co-stars was Molly Qerim, who mysteriously left the show last year. Now that he’s pledging innocence in her removal, one former NFL player isn’t buying it.
Marcellus Wiley Questions Stephen A. Smith’s Role in the Molly Qerim Departure
Since 2012, Smith has become one of the main co-hosts of ESPN’s flagship show, “First Take,” which first began in 2007. For nearly a decade, though, he was joined at the table by Qerim, who served as the moderator for the debates.
Introducing the topics, keeping the conversation moving, asking follow-up questions, and taking the show to commercial breaks, she played a key role in keeping the show moving. Which is what made her departure in September of 2025 all the more surprising.
During a recent appearance on Cam Newton’s “Funky Friday Podcast,” Smith was asked about that decision, and he offered his side of the story. “I was not behind that,” he said. “I had nothing to do with that. I love Molly. Molly is a really good friend. She was on a show with me for 10 years. We were No. 1, and she had a lot to do with that.”
Going so far as to say that he “missed” her, he did not get into the specifics about her wanting out, instead claiming, “She had a lot going on.” However, for former ESPN analyst Marcellus Wiley, Smith’s story doesn’t fully line up.
On the latest episode of the “Hydration Situation” podcast, he countered, “Just going to remind you of the times we’ve heard Stephen A. Smith say ‘My show,’ and we know he’s an executive producer. Now we also know he has bosses as well. But to say you had nothing to do with that?”
Wiley emphasized that Smith must have been consulted before ESPN decided to part ways with Qerim, as based on his experience, the people on the show are often asked about personnel decisions.
When Smith revealed that he had only spoken to Qerim once or twice since her departure, the former Buffalo Bills defensive end took exception to his words. “You are friends with somebody, affinity for somebody, and Molly [has] been gone since what, August? And y’all talk once, maybe twice. That don’t sound like friends to me.”
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As a result, he concluded, “There’s underlying tension there. If you are working with somebody for 10 years, and then you only talk to them once or twice in that span, and then y’all know what I’m putting down.”
It remains to be seen if more comes out of the story from Qerim herself over time. But for the time being, all we know about her departure is everything Smith has detailed so far.
