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Stephen A. Smith’s 'Turned Me On' Comment to Chiney Ogwumike on Live TV Draws Backlash

The moment triggered calls on social media for discipline, reviving scrutiny of his past on-air comments.

Stephen A. Smith attends the Los Angeles premiere of 'Michael' at Dolby Theatre on April 20, 2026, in Los Angeles, California; Chiney Ogwumike speaks at the 2026 TIME Women of the Year Leadership Forum at The West Hollywood EDITION on March 10, 2026, in West Hollywood, California
An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Two sports commentators, a man and a woman, react to the question, "Is Jokic the reason Nuggets are down in series?", Image 2 shows A blonde woman with her hand on her forehead looking at a screen displaying NBA playoff news
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Overview

  • Stephen A. Smith, during Friday’s First Take, told colleague Chiney Ogwumike that her French “kinda turned me on” while they discussed the Timberwolves’ Game 3 win.
  • Ogwumike laughed and called him “crazy,” and host Shea Cornette put her hand to her head in an uneasy cutaway shot.
  • Clips spread across Instagram and X as influencer Coach Jackie J called for Smith to be fired, a post that drew more than 18,000 likes and agreement from former NFL star Terrell Owens.
  • As of Saturday, outlets reported no ESPN statement or disciplinary action, and People reported the network did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
  • Coverage tied the exchange to Smith’s history, noting a 2014 Ray Rice discussion that brought a one-week ESPN suspension and citing past on-air remarks to female colleagues.