Stephen A. Smith on his distant relationship with Skip Bayless: 'We Don't Talk Much These Days'

Stephen A. Smith has opened up about his strained relationship with Skip Bayless. On the Fully Loaded podcast, Smith revealed that he and his former First Take co-host have barely spoken in over a year. The rift began after Bayless criticized Smith on his podcast over comments about JJ Redick, leading to a face-to-face confrontation. Although they resolved that conflict, Smith says their relationship hasn't fully recovered. With Bayless leaving FS1’s Undisputed, Smith confirmed any chance of reuniting on a sports show is off the table.

Take a look at the cooling relationship between Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless

ESPN's Stephen A. Smith disclosed that his communication with Skip Bayless, his former First Take co-host, has significantly decreased.

“We’ve only spoken once in the past year or so,” Smith mentioned on the Fully Loaded podcast (via Awful Announcing's Sam Neumann). “We don’t talk much these days.”

Bayless announced his departure from FS1's Undisputed on August 2, ending his tenure with the network that began in 2016.

Smith admitted that the two clashed over comments he made about former ESPN analyst and current Lakers head coach JJ Redick. “He got upset over something he thought I said to JJ Redick, and he went on his podcast and attacked me for about 45 minutes,” Smith said (h/t Neumann). “And then I flew to California and approached him face-to-face, and we resolved that issue.”

"I'm never gonna speak against him per se, but our relationship admittedly hasn't been the same since that moment," he added.

Smith brought up Bayless' impending departure from FS1 on July 19, explaining that any potential reunion between the two on a sports show is "over." "There's no negativity or shade being shown at Skip Bayless," he said on his YouTube channel. "I have moved on."

Bayless and Smith, both former sportswriters, gained widespread recognition through their dynamic debates on ESPN's First Take. The show, which launched in May 2007, featured them regularly, and they became the show's full-time stars from 2012 to 2016. In 2016, Bayless departed ESPN for Fox, where he began hosting a new show with Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe. Sharpe later joined ESPN in August 2023.