Since 2012, Stephen A. Smith has anchored the ship of First Take. For the past 10 years, Molly Qerim worked as the moderator on the show. But last September, she abruptly quit, and some theories quickly hinted that Smith played a role in her exit. Speaking about it for the first time, the veteran broadcaster had a very emotional response.

“Rarely. We’ve spoken once or twice, but we still got a lot of love for each other,” Smith admitted on Cam Newton’s podcast. “There were times I wondered if she wanted to be there or not,” Smith said. “‘Cause she had a lot going on. It just got to a point where she was just at odds with what she wanted to do compared to what [the bosses] wanted her to do. I’m not at liberty to get into details, I’m not going to do that… But I will tell you that I miss her.”

Qerim reportedly rejected a contract offer from ESPN, and in January, she landed a new gig as the host of Zuffa Boxing on Paramount+. She reunited with Kellerman, one of the network’s lead boxing analysts. Smith maintained that he and Qerim remain friends. “She confided in me a lot. Our friendship only grew. I miss her. I miss her a lot,” Stephen A. Smith concluded.

Smith is no stranger to having a hand in colleagues leaving the show. He admitted that he did ask his higher executives to cut ties with Max Kellerman. He replaced Skip Bayless and worked with Stephen A. successfully for five years from 2016 to 2021. The reason for departure was not personal, at least according to the veteran broadcaster.

“It was totally my fault, and the reason it was my fault is that I didn’t like working with him. It’s just that damn simple,” Stephen A. Smith on his role in removing Kellerman from the show. He further added that, according to his perception, the show had become “stale” or had reached a “flatline” in terms of growth. So, the question remained: if Smith had a hand in Qerim’s exit?

Stephen A. Smith clears the air on his involvement

Smith explained that ESPN and Qerim were locked in certain negotiations. But confirmed he was blindsided by the news of her departure. The 58-year-old stated in September 2025, “To be blunt, it came as a shock. I was not aware that this was something that she was contemplating doing. But in the end, she made her decision, and we have to move on as a show.” Now we actually get to hear if he played any part, and the answer is no.

“I was not behind that,” Smith said. “I had nothing to do with that. I love Molly. Molly is a really good friend. She was on a show with me for 10 years. We were No. 1, and she had a lot to do with that.” Her contract was reportedly up in January after a 19-year stint. She was expecting a certain raise, which she never got, as former colleagues’ comments added more drama to this situation.

Marcellus Wiley explained that Qerim decided to walk away after realizing a hefty pay rise wasn’t on the table. Her negotiations were after the fact that ESPN had locked Stephen A. Smith on a $100 million five-year deal. Wiley claimed that Molly reportedly made “around half a million dollars a year.” This was reportedly after she was being “low-balled” in contract negotiations. In fact, he even alleged that Qerim pitched for her own show, which got rejected. That’s why Stephen A. Smith is not accepting any blame for her former colleague leaving after a decade.