Stephen A. Smith has no empathy for ‘addict’ Tiger Woods wanting privacy

Tiger Woods is asking for privacy in the wake of his latest DUI arrest, and Stephen A. Smith doesn’t think he deserves it.

Woods was arrested last Friday when two hydrocodone pills were found in his pocket at the scene of his rollover crash in Jupiter Island, Florida, where police said he showed “severe signs of impairment.” It’s the fourth reckless driving incident for Woods since 2009. Some of those incidents are believed to have been caused by Woods’ driving while being impaired by prescription drugs, which Stephen A. Smith has determined is enough evidence to call him an addict.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I’m not being hyperbolic, and I’m not being cruel when I say this. Tiger Woods is an addict,” Smith said on his Mad Dog Sports Radio show earlier this week. “I have no evidence, no proof of this whatsoever, other than the incidents he’s been involved with. But damnit, based on that, I think it’s safe to say, Tiger Woods is an addict.”

In the wake of Woods’ latest car crash, he issued a statement acknowledging plans to step away “for a period of time to seek treatment,” while requesting privacy for himself and his family at this time. And maybe Smith would have been more empathetic after the first incident, but as a repeat offender, he has no desire to offer Woods empathy or privacy.

“Bump your statements! We don’t care. What we care to hear from you is that we don’t have to worry about you being behind the wheel of a vehicle inebriated…you’re luck you didn’t kill somebody” – Stephen A. Smith on Tiger Woods pic.twitter.com/pyp3Ae83v8

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 1, 2026

“Bump his privacy,” Smith ranted while reacting to Woods’ statement on First Take on Wednesday morning. “I don’t care about his privacy. We don’t care right now. You’ve been behind the wheel of a vehicle inebriated three times. Ain’t nobody trying to know all your business. What we want to know is that you ain’t gonna get behind the wheel of a damn car. You’re lucky you didn’t kill somebody. That’s what we want to hear.”

The easiest and most obvious way to keep Woods from getting behind the wheel of a car would seem to be to hire a driver. But Smith noted recent reports that Woods doesn’t want a driver because he is a private person who doesn’t want anyone to know what he’s doing.

“Damn that privacy,” Smith fired back. “You must have a very highly suspect life that you, as a billionaire, don’t even want to hire a driver. Something wrong. Something wrong with that. You want your privacy…what are you trying to hide? It’s a rhetorical question because I don’t care. And none of us should care; it’s none of our business. What is our business is you staying away from being behind the wheel of a vehicle when you’re inebriated.

“Bump your statements! We don’t care. What we care to hear from you is that we don’t have to worry about you being behind the wheel of a vehicle inebriated again. That’s it. Go ahead and get better and live your live and be at peace. Ain’t nobody wishing any harm upon you. But what you did potentially harmed somebody else, you’re lucky you didn’t kill somebody, if not yourself.”

Woods has proved several times over the last two decades that there are things in his life he tried to hide. And the media has repeatedly proved there is an interest in everything Woods does on or off the golf course. That’s not an excuse for Woods, who might have more people in the media trying to protect than expose him. But it’s disingenuous of Smith to act like no one is trying to find anything out about Woods’ private life.