After months of speculation, unanswered questions, and rumored bitterness, Stephen A. Smith made a definitive attempt to calm the drama surrounding Molly Qerim. His longtime colleague and ESPN analyst abruptly resigned from First Take in September 2025. And it sparked a wave of rumors about SAS’ involvement in it. Five months later, the host and producer of ESPN’s flagship show has broken his silence on it.

Appearing on The White House with Michael Irvin on Netflix, the media mogul directly addressed rumors of a rift behind-the-scenes leading to Qerim’s exit. Smith reflected on their years of camaraderie and credited her for building the First Take brand. But said that her decision to leave was entirely her own and driven by internal factors beyond his control.

“Molly decided that she wanted to leave, and she had some issues that I’m not going to discuss,” Smith vaguely confirmed, dismissing rumors that he fired her or she quit in a dispute with him. He instead framed it as a personal self-care decision. “It wasn’t with me, but she had some issues that was foremost on her mind and she made the decision to abruptly resign.”

It seemingly corroborated Qerim’s initial response. Reports at the time alleged that Qerim was not satisfied with ESPN’s offered contract. However, she remained quiet for a long time and didn’t move to a new network home either.

Instead, she reappeared on social media to speak about her long battle with endometriosis. She’s also used her platform to take a stand on social issues. But she didn’t address her professional future until 2026, announcing her new role headlining boxing programming on Paramount+. It also reunites her with former First Take co-host, Max Kellerman.

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For Smith, her departure came as a shock. The veteran analyst expressed deep regret over the timing of the exit, which saw Qerim vanish from the airwaves mid-September after a decade-long tenure. “When that happened, it was incredibly unfortunate,” Smith said. “I can tell you that Molly and I worked together for 10 years — I loved Molly. I didn’t want her to leave.”

Stephen A. Smith blames the ‘business’ for Molly Qerim’s ESPN exit

The context of Qerim’s exit has been a subject of intense scrutiny amid First Take contract negotiations. In March 2025, Stephen A. Smith and ESPN agreed to a new five-year that was reportedly worth over $100 million. He also got more creative license apart from being a producer on First Take.

Given his big pay raise and role at First Take, rumors abounded that Qerim was upset over not getting a similar due. Some went as far as to claim that Smith didn’t bat for his colleague.

However, SAS pulled back the curtain on the limitations of his authority, noting that even he must answer to the higher-ups at Disney and ESPN. “Just because I’m the executive producer of the show doesn’t mean that I’m the boss,” he clarified. “I have bosses that I answer to. Anyone that’s ever worked for a damn network knows you have bosses that you answer to when you’re the executive producer.”

While Qerim’s job was the most enviable one, Shae Cornette was hired to replace her. Smith lavished praise over his new co-host but still missed his old friend. “On a personal level, I definitely miss Molly, as do a lot of us, because we’re friends, and she was great.”

Despite all that’s been said, he highlights Qerim’s undeniable legacy during the show’s peak years: “You look at the contribution that she made to the show, the relationships that she cultivated, and what have you. You know, we’re No. 1 all of these years; she was hosting when we were No. 1 all of those years. So, she made an incredible contribution to the success of the show.”

“When that happened, it was incredibly unfortunate,” Smith said of Qerim’s abrupt departure. “I can tell you that Molly and I worked together for 10 years — I loved Molly. I didn’t want her to leave. Listen, I think Shae Cornette is doing an outstanding job for us. She knows her sports backwards and forwards. She is the real deal. But on a personal level, I definitely miss Molly, as do a lot of us, because we’re friends, and she was great.”

While Smith wishes it was different, he continues to support Molly Qerim’s future endeavours. And maybe subtly leave the door open for her return.