Stephen A. Smith is never short on opinions, whether the subject is basketball, football or, apparently, his own dating life. The ESPN host made an appearance on Cam Newton’s Funky Friday podcast on May 1 and, when the conversation turned to relationships, he did not soften his answer or reach for diplomatic language.
Asked about the qualities he looks for in a potential partner, Smith initially began listing intelligence and strong conversational ability as his top priorities. Then he caught himself. He paused, reconsidered and moved those two traits down the list entirely, placing them at second and third. At the top, he said, is sex appeal and nothing else comes before it.
His reasoning was simple and consistent with the directness his audience has come to expect from him. If the physical attraction is not there from the start, he argued, nothing else that follows will be enough to change that. He was clear that this was not about having a specific type or a narrow preference, but about the reality that romantic interest has to begin somewhere, and for him it begins with physical chemistry.
Why he keeps his personal life under wraps
Despite his willingness to speak openly about what he looks for in a partner, Smith has long maintained a strict boundary around his actual dating life. His current relationship status remains unclear, and he has been consistent over the years in keeping that side of his life away from public view. For someone who makes a living talking, the silence around his personal relationships is deliberate and well-guarded.
That privacy has not stopped speculation. There have been persistent rumors circulating online for years suggesting a romantic connection between Smith and Molly Qerim, a former host of ESPN’s First Take. Both have dismissed those rumors repeatedly and emphatically, with each pushing back on the idea that anything beyond a professional relationship ever existed between them.
Smith addressed the speculation in the past by pointing out that the rumors had been going around for years without any basis in reality. Qerim echoed that sentiment, describing the ongoing speculation as something she found more amusing than credible.
What the moment reveals
There is something worth noting about the way Smith handled the question on Newton’s podcast. He started with what might be considered the more socially acceptable answer, leading with intelligence and conversation, and then pulled back and replaced it with something more instinctive and less polished.
That kind of self-correction in real time is actually more revealing than a rehearsed answer would have been. It suggested that his first instinct was to present a version of himself that sounded measured and thoughtful, before deciding that honesty served him better. Whether that reads as refreshing candor or a missed opportunity to say something more nuanced probably depends on who is listening.
Newton’s Funky Friday has built a following precisely because conversations like this one tend to happen there. Guests are encouraged to be direct, and Smith, who rarely struggles to fill airtime, delivered exactly that.
Where Smith stands now
At 57, Smith shows no signs of softening his public persona or becoming more guarded in his opinions, even when those opinions are about himself. His appearance on Funky Friday was another reminder that he applies the same energy to personal topics that he brings to sports debate.
What he looks for in a partner is, ultimately, his own business. But in naming it so plainly and without hesitation, he gave his audience exactly the kind of unfiltered moment that keeps them coming back.
