“Heartbroken” Stephen A. Smith Dig into Skip Bayless Lawsuit: “She’s Meticulous”

Stephen A. Smith, longtime sports commentator and former co-host of “First Take,” recently shared his reaction to a lawsuit filed against his ex-colleague, Skip Bayless. The lawsuit, filed by Noushin Faraji, a former Fox Sports hairstylist, accuses Bayless of offering her $1.5 million to have sex in July 2021 and alleges years of inappropriate physical contact and sexual advances. The 42-page lawsuit was first reported by Front Office Sports. On Monday’s episode of “The Stephen A. Smith Show” on YouTube, Smith expressed his shock and sympathy for Bayless, describing the situation as “heartbreaking.”

Smith shared that he spoke with people who have some knowledge about Faraji, and from their accounts, he learned that she is very meticulous about the details of her claims.

“She’s going to chronicle things and that’s how she operates,” Smith said.

Despite this, Smith was clear that he had no inside knowledge about the case and emphasized that he would not get involved. “I don’t know anything about this. I’m not going to get involved,” Smith explained.

Smith, who has worked closely with Bayless in the past, found it hard to reconcile the Skip Bayless he knows with the accusations in the lawsuit. He mentioned that Bayless is “one of the cheapest people” he knows, making it difficult for him to believe that Bayless would offer such a large sum. “The Skip Bayless I know has a hard time giving away $15,” Smith said. “But that doesn’t mean that I have any inside knowledge of this — I don’t.”

However, Smith acknowledged that this was a serious legal matter Bayless would need to address. He expressed surprise that the case seemed unlikely to go away anytime soon. “This situation doesn’t appear to be going away,” Smith said. Despite his personal feelings, Smith underscored that Bayless would have to face the legal consequences of the lawsuit.

Smith’s comments reflect his deep surprise at the accusations and his ongoing sympathy for his former colleague. Though he doesn’t want to speculate on the outcome, he recognizes the gravity of the situation.