Beadle Condemns Smith's 'Gross' Business Move
Former ESPN presenter Michelle Beadle has spectacularly reignited her long-standing feud with colleague Stephen A. Smith, publicly declaring she is 'praying for his downfall' after he signed a controversial new sponsorship deal. The outburst occurred on her 'Beadle and Decker' podcast, where she pulled no punches in criticising Smith's association with mobile games company Papaya.
The Solitaire Scandal That Started It All
The controversy stems from an incident five months ago, in June, when Smith was caught on camera playing solitaire on his phone during the NBA Finals. The clip rapidly went viral across social media, painting the sports pundit in an unprofessional light. This week, in a surprising turn of events, Smith was announced as an official brand ambassador for Papaya Gaming ahead of the World Solitaire Championship in February 2026.
To mark the new partnership, Smith shared an AI-generated advertisement on social media that directly parodied his viral solitaire moment. While some fans saw the humour in the full-circle situation, Beadle was unequivocal in her disgust.
'It's gross, man. You gotta have principles in this thing,' Beadle stated during the podcast. She launched a scathing critique of Smith's professional conduct, highlighting the irony of the situation. 'ESPN pays him a gazillion dollars to get a lot of stuff wrong and yell. He gets caught playing solitaire during the NBA freaking Finals, the thing he's an expert in.'
A Fraught History and a Federal Lawsuit
Beadle's condemnation is not happening in a vacuum. Her comments arrive amid reports that Papaya Gaming is facing a federal lawsuit. The company is accused of falsely marketing 'games of skill' that were allegedly rigged, with court documents claiming the firm used bots 'masquerading as human players' in games where real money was at stake. Papaya has filed counterclaims against the allegations.
This public spat is merely the latest chapter in a feud that stretches back to 2014. The initial conflict erupted when Smith made controversial remarks on ESPN's 'First Take' regarding the Ray Rice domestic violence case, suggesting that women can 'provoke' being hit. Beadle's furious response on X, then Twitter, was swift: 'So I was just forced to watch this morning’s First Take. A) I’ll never feel clean again B) I’m now aware that I can provoke my own beating.' Smith was subsequently suspended by ESPN for a week and issued an apology.
The animosity was further fuelled just this past July, when Beadle and her co-host Cody Decker were fired by Sirius XM. This occurred a day after Beadle made a passionate on-air rant about Smith. She revealed on her podcast that they discovered Smith was taking over their time slot from his interview with Howard Stern, feeling blindsided and embarrassed by the lack of communication from their employer.
Making her feelings perfectly clear, the former sports host concluded, 'It's no secret how I feel about that human. I'm not a religious person, but I pray for the downfall. I really do.'
