The face of ESPN is weighing in on the case of notorious child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, and he doesn’t understand why people seem to care so much about the story.
Appearing Friday on Chris Cuomo’s NewsNation show, Stephen A. Smith struck a skeptical tone when discussing why so many American media consumers have taken an interest in the Epstein case, which has been brought back to the forefront after the Trump administration backtracked on a previous promise to release a “client list” that would seemingly implicate numerous powerful individuals. Now, the existence of such a list is being called into question.
Stephen A. Smith says he couldn’t care less about the Epstein client list—and claims most Americans feel the same.
He says Epstein’s clients (who r*ped children) don’t affect him at all because he’s too busy living his own life.
Smith admits he’s baffled by the public obsession… pic.twitter.com/h4Oy0q0J2E
— Shadow of Ezra (@ShadowofEzra) July 12, 2025
“You’re in an uproar off the Epstein list?” Smith dramatically questioned Cuomo. “That’s all you’ve got? It’s really really surprising that this matters. Of course I think there’s a list, but I don’t know. I suspect [there’s a list], but I have no knowledge, nor do I care. It’s Friday night, I’m getting ready to go out and enjoy myself. I’m getting ready to have a nice week. I could give a damn about the Epstein client list. This has no effect on me whatsoever. I have a life! I don’t understand, for the life of me, why this matters so much?
“I’m talking about people losing- they’re crying on camera, they’re talking about resignations, they’re pissed off about everything. I’m like, ‘Really?’ With all the stuff that’s going on in this country, with all the power that you possess because of the cache and influence you have because of your connection to this administration, that’s why you’re upset at Trump?
“I didn’t blame Trump one bit for looking at them and saying, ‘Really? That really matters to you? It’s really that important?’ Now maybe he had a different reason for saying it, trying to be evasive or whatever. I don’t know. But I do know this. In the grand scheme of things, it ain’t gonna affect the lives of over two to three hundred million Americans. I think we’ll be just fine without knowing whether or not there was really, really a client list. I think we’ll be okay. It’s unbelievable that this is a big deal to me.”
It’s an odd hill to die on for Stephen A. Smith. Sure, the existence (or nonexistence) of a “client list” might not directly impact the lives of everyday Americans, but it’s certainly in the public interest to know the names of individuals tied to Epstein’s crimes. Especially so if those individuals are public figures.
The remarks are a departure from Smith’s take on the Epstein story just last year. Then, the First Take star decided to weigh in on the Aaron Rodgers-Jimmy Kimmel saga that saw the quarterback accuse the late-night host of being on the client list. At the time, Smith said, “Jeffrey Epstein ain’t nothing to joke about.”
But now, Smith doesn’t seem to care, even if there’s a level of justice to be had with the release of a list. This is Stephen A. Smith in 2025; the talent at the forefront of ESPN programming spends his free time downplaying stories about child sex trafficking.
Disney can’t want this, just like they didn’t like an NFL star accusing their own late-night host of being a sex predator while on the company’s airwaves. However, this is the price they must pay to keep their $100 million man satisfied.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.