ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith issued a [rare public apology](https://sportsnaut.com/nba/beyond-wrong-stephen-a-smith-forced-to-eat-crow-as-knicks-fans-boo-him-to-his-face) this week after repeating inaccurate financial details about the divorce between former NBA champion Iman Shumpert and actress Teyana Taylor.
The comments appeared on an October episode of Smith’s Culture Table podcast titled “Can men trust women with their finances?”
Smith stated that Taylor walked away with $25 million in cash, $10 million in properties, luxury vehicles, and other assets, while Shumpert was left with roughly $2 million and no home. Those figures were false.
> Stephen A. Smith publicly apologizes to Iman Shumpert and Teyana Taylor after admitting he spread false claims that she received $25,000,000 in their divorce while Iman was left with just $2,000,000 and nowhere to live “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?’” “During that episode, I stated that Teyana Taylor walked away from her divorce with $25 million, $10 million in properties, luxury cars, and other assets, while Iman Shumpert, her ex husband, was left with approximately $2 million and nowhere to live.” “Those statements were inaccurate, and I want to sincerely apologize to both Iman Shumpert and Teyana Taylor.” “The quotes attributed to him, however, were not his statements at all, and the financial figures presented were inaccurate.” “I know this for a fact because I personally spoke to Teyana Taylor, who verified herself that the information circulating out there is patently false.” “Straight Shooter Media and I, as the CEO, have a responsibility to ensure that information presented is properly sourced. We didn’t meet that standard here. Plain and simple.” “I have personally apologized to both Iman and Teyana.”
>
> — Bassey (@0xBassey) [October 10, 2026](https://x.com/0xBassey/status/2109014892791632248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
Smith later put out a statement and video walking it back. He said the numbers and quotes that had been floating around online were wrongly credited to Shumpert and simply weren’t accurate.
“Those statements were inaccurate, and I want to sincerely apologize to both Iman Shumpert and Teyana Taylor,” Smith said.
He added that he had spoken personally with Taylor, who confirmed the circulating information was “patently false.”
Straight Shooter Media, Smith’s company that produces the podcast, removed the episode. Smith noted that the outlet had a responsibility to properly source information and “didn’t meet the standard here.”
It was Smith’s second public walk-back in under a week. A few days earlier he had caught heat on First Take for how he talked about Eagles tackle Lane Johnson retiring to focus on his mental health. Smith had floated the idea that Philadelphia’s early struggles might have sped up the decision.
He later said the remarks were inappropriate and that he had downplayed a serious issue.
Shumpert and Taylor split in 2024 and have two young daughters together. Shumpert played 11 years in the league, winning a title with the Cavaliers in 2016, and has done some analyst work since he stopped playing. Taylor has kept working in music, movies, and TV. Their divorce already got plenty of attention, but none of the specific dollar amounts Smith repeated showed up in any court paperwork or public comments from either of them.
Smith also used the apology to talk about how easily false details can take off online once someone with a big platform repeats them. He pointed out that just because a claim keeps getting shared or gets attached to a public figure doesn’t make it true. In the statement, he said he respects both Shumpert and Taylor and takes pride in getting the facts right.
Smith took the episode down and put out the apology after Taylor reached out. The $35 million figure never appeared in any court filings or on-the-record statements from either side. He moved quickly once she contacted him, which stood out given how freely the numbers had been discussed on the podcast in the first place. The whole episode has drawn more scrutiny over how easily unverified financial claims about athletes can pick up speed once they hit a large platform.