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Stephen A Smith reveals devastating moment his father said he would never 'be anything'
By Madison Colombo
Published March 10, 2026
Sports commentator Stephen A. Smith opened up about the devastating comment from his father that changed his life and motivated his rise.
Now a successful ESPN commentator and influential media voice, Smith once was told he would never amount to anything. He recalled the moment on the "Hang Out with Sean Hannity" podcast, saying he overheard his parents discussing his intelligence.
"My father said, ‘He's just not smart. You know he's not going to be anything, and you just need to accept that right now,’ and when my mother turned around and saw me seeing him say that, she was aghast," Smith told Hannity on the podcast's premiere.
"She was appalled and all of that stuff, and he just shrugged his shoulders and turned around and walked away," he added.
STEPHEN A SMITH WARNS DEMOCRATS 'I AIN'T GIVING YOU ANYTHING,' CHALLENGES THEM TO EARN BLACK VOTES
Stephen A. Smith speaks onstage during the HOPE Global Forum in Atlanta, Georgia, on Dec. 11, 2024. (Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
Smith revealed in his memoir "Straight Shooter" that he suffered from undiagnosed dyslexia and has spoken about his struggles with reading. While he was a talented speaker, reading comprehension remained a struggle. He told Hannity the cold comments from his father came after he was held back from advancing a grade in school for the second time.
"My mother thought that was going to [be] something that was incredibly devastating for me, and it hurt. I'm not denying that it did. But something inside of me just was motivated to prove him wrong," said Smith.
Host Stephen A. Smith in conversation with Sen. Ted Cruz at a SiriusXM Town Hall on Nov. 19, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Paul Morigi/Getty Images for SiriusXM)
He also revealed he was ridiculed by neighborhood kids for being held back in school.
"That memory still stays with me because when I got left back the second time, and this time permanently held back for the whole year, I'm sitting on the back porch, and I'm crying because I'm being laughed at and ridiculed by the kids in the neighborhood because all kids can be very cruel," he said.
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Smith was the first guest on Fox News anchor Sean Hannity’s new twice-weekly podcast, released Tuesday. Also on the podcast, Smith shut down rumors he may consider running for president in 2028.
Speaking with Hannity, he said if he has to "give up money, it’s not happening." The Democrat also noted he would be willing to vote for Secretary of State Marco Rubio over some other prominent Democrats.
https://www.foxnews.com/media/stephen-a-smith-reveals-devastating-moment-his-father-said-he-would-never-be-anything