Stephen A. Smith has disclosed his remarkable weight loss journey after nearly developing diabetes following his battle with COVID-19. The 58-year-old ESPN personality told his audience on Thursday that he had approximately 30 percent body fat shortly after recovering from the coronavirus.
From 30% to 9% Body Fat
"I'm now at 9 percent body fat," Smith announced during a live broadcast outside the Alamo in San Antonio, where the Spurs are hosting the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals. The revelation came as Smith prepared for a shirtless scene on his favorite soap opera, General Hospital.
"I was asked for the first time in my life to do a shirtless scene," said Smith, who has appeared in 44 episodes of the long-running series. "I want to show how I looked four years ago when COVID almost killed me."
Smith shared a side-by-side comparison: a shirtless photo showing his former paunchy midsection and a recent shot revealing newly chiseled abs. "That is me now," he said as fans cheered offstage. "I just wanted to let everybody know. It's been a long journey. I'm just getting started."
Gratitude and Support
Smith expressed thanks to several individuals who helped him achieve his transformation. "My friend JJ Smith with nutrition and green smoothie drinks. To Gary Brecka, for 10x Health and now the ultimate human… he saved my life. To my trainer, Obi Obadike, I train like five or six days a week," he said.
Smith, who signed a $100 million contract with ESPN in 2025, has also made appearances on NBC's Law & Order but has seen more work with General Hospital, where he plays a surveillance contractor for the mafia.
Future Acting Aspirations
Despite his recent acting gigs, Smith has no plans to leave his day job. "It would have to be the right opportunity, of course," he told Variety about future acting roles. "I mean, I have a day job that pays me pretty well, so I don't really need the work."
He added, "If I'm gonna do it, it has to be the kind of role that I want. I want to be in the movies. I want to be on primetime television. I want to be on epic shows like 'Law & Order'. I want to work with great actors and great directors. It's certainly something that I aspire to do."
