It looks like the unrest between Asante Samuel and Emmanuel Acho will continue for some time. The duo has fired off at each other on multiple occasions in the past — there was that back-and-forth about Acho’s ownership of the Speakeasy podcast, and Samuel calling him out for a hot take on Deebo Samuel. This time, Samuel slammed the former FOX Sports star for criticizing Michael Strahan as he welcomed his fifth child. 

Acho took to Speakeasy on August 28 and titled the episode “Is 54-Year-Old Michael Strahan TOO OLD to Have Kids?” The ex-FOX host claimed even “well-intended parents” sometimes end up setting their children up for jokes in public, taking a dig at Strahan for welcoming his fifth child with longtime partner Kayla Quick.

According to Acho, having a child after fifty was a negligent decision. He himself is the youngest of four children, and the gap between him and his father is well above 50 years. However, Samuel didn’t like it when the former NFL linebacker claimed that Strahan shouldn’t have welcomed the kid if he’s “not going to be around very long for the child’s life.”

“Very weird, disgusting behavior,” Samuel lashed out at Acho on the Say What Needs To Be Said podcast. “Who does this ninja think he is? The Lord Jesus Christ or something? Let me guess. The great Emmanuel Acho has the power to know who and when, or how long people live on this Earth! This is some disgusting, horrible, jealous, everything in the book behavior! 

“There’s a chance whenever people have kids, something may happen to them the next day, within a week, a year or two…  Acho shouldn’t be thinking about this man. We can’t hide from ourselves. When you have a little jealousy in your heart, this is what happens.”

All four of Strahan’s older children are adults. Before Quick, he was married to Jean Muggli, with whom he shares twin daughters, Sophia and Isabella. With his first wife, Wanda Hutchins, Strahan had two more children – a daughter, Tanita, and a son, Michael. At 54, he welcomed his fifth (a daughter) earlier in 2026, TMZ reported in August.

Strahan has been open about the relationship he shares with them as a father. It hasn’t been easy for him; He married Hutchins when they were very, very young and lived in Germany. Following their divorce, Strahan moved to the States, while Hutchins remained in Europe with their kids.

Strahan has also admitted that managing time to be with his kids was difficult, but he is grateful that his kids have also met him halfway.

“They’re willing to give up their time with me to make other people happy,” he said at the Meta Heart 2 Heart panel. “This is another thing that makes me happy. They are very giving and caring in that way to think about somebody else before themselves.”

Strahan does his best to be with his kids, especially in challenging times. He once had to deal with Isabella Strahan fighting a fast-growing cancer in her brain, a fact that seldom comes up when Michael is being discussed as a father. Isabella was only a college freshman when she was diagnosed and had to undergo surgery before going into remission in 2024.

“I’m really proud of her,” Michael Strahan told ABC 7 Chicago. “Personally, I look at things a lot differently, realizing life is short. It could change like that. It could change like that.”

Now retired, Strahan has built himself a solid career as a sportscaster, thanks to his long-running stint on Good Morning America. He also features on FOX NFL Sunday and is the host of The $100,000 Pyramid.

Acho’s controversial decision to publicly criticize Michael Strahan’s family planning certainly struck a serious nerve with Samuel. The ex-NFL linebacker seems to believe that he asked valid questions about older parenting. But Samuel viewed the commentary as a jealous attack on a fellow NFL alumnus. However, despite all the outside noise, Michael Strahan will focus on making the best of memories with his newborn daughter.