Stephen A. Smith is apologizing to Teyana Taylor and Iman Shumpert after acknowledging that he spread false information about the former couple’s divorce settlement, including inaccurate financial figures and fabricated quotes attributed to the ex-NBA player.
The ESPN personality issued a public correction following an October episode of The Culture Table, a podcast produced by his Straight Shooter Media company. During the broadcast, Smith claimed Taylor received $25 million in cash and another $10 million in real estate and luxury assets as part of the divorce settlement.
He also alleged that Shumpert was left with just $2 million and was effectively homeless after the proceedings.
Smith has since retracted those claims, acknowledging that the information presented on his platform was inaccurate.
“Those statements were inaccurate, and I want to sincerely apologize to both Iman Shumpert and Teyana Taylor,” Smith said in his statement.
According to Smith, he spoke directly with Taylor, who confirmed that the financial figures and details circulating online were fabricated. He also acknowledged that quotes attributed to Shumpert during the podcast were not authentic statements from the former professional basketball player.
Smith said his team relied on unverified social media posts and media reports without properly checking the information before broadcasting it.
“The quotes attributed to him, however, were not his statements at all, and the financial figures presented were inaccurate,” Smith said.
The admission marks a significant correction to a story that presented specific claims about the former couple’s finances and Shumpert’s living situation as part of their divorce.
Smith accepted responsibility for the error and acknowledged that his media company had failed to meet the standards required when reporting information about public figures.
He also said he had reached out to both Taylor and Shumpert to apologize directly, emphasizing the importance of verifying information before sharing it with an audience.
Taylor and Shumpert married in 2016 and share two daughters. Their relationship and separation have attracted public attention, but the specific settlement figures and alleged statements Smith presented should not be treated as factual based on his retraction.
Neither Taylor nor Shumpert had issued a formal public response to Smith’s correction in the account provided.
The episode serves as a reminder of the risks of relying on unverified online claims, particularly when reporting sensitive matters such as divorce settlements, family finances and personal circumstances.
For Smith, the issue extends beyond an inaccurate podcast segment. By publicly retracting the claims and acknowledging that the quotes were fabricated, he has accepted responsibility for information his platform presented without adequate verification.
