Stephen A. Smith, Skip Bayless, and Joy Taylor — all great sports journalists with different styles of covering the game. Bayless’s bravura, even-keeled personality made him famous on ESPN’s First Take, his exchanges with Smith made him a household name. But a recent lawsuit has made all three people on notice, and the charges are so grave they risk ruining their own, as well as their employers’, reputations.

Stephen A Smith’s response to the controversies

Smith couldn’t believe his ears when he heard about the lawsuit, which names Bayless, Taylor, and Fox Sports CEO Charlie Dixon. “Skip and I go back over 25 years,’ he started. “The man is cheap. I mean, $1.5 million? Skip struggles to part with $15 for lunch! This doesn’t add up for me” While his comment may be humorous, it shows his difficulty reconciling the charges with his experience of Bayless. His comment mellows things, but Bayless’s charges aren’t insignificant.

Although shocked, Smith didn’t shy away from saying he didn’t have any inside information about it. “This is a legal matter, and I don’t have any inside knowledge about it,” Smith said. “I’m heartbroken for Skip if he’s been falsely accused, and equally heartbroken for anyone who’s been hurt if these allegations are true. It’s just a sad, messy scenario all around.” His measured approach reflects a desire to stay neutral while acknowledging the gravity of the situation for both the accused and the accusers.

Smith also discussed Joy Taylor’s allegations, especially one from the former Fox Sports stylist Noushin Faraji. Faraji says Taylor told her to “get over it” after Faraji called and complained that Taylor was being inappropriate. Smith outed this behavior: “If someone in this industry, man or woman, told someone to ‘get over it,’ that’s not acceptable. Period. We’re supposed to be building each other up in this business, not tearing each other down or sweeping things under the rug.” Smith’s extreme position is about respect and support at work, especially in an industry where people are judged constantly.

Last but not least, he also reminded the masses not to take things too seriously. “Let’s remember one thing: these are allegations. No one’s been found guilty of anything yet,” he said. “In the court of public opinion, people like to rush to judgment, but that’s not how it works in real life. Let the process play out, and then we can talk about what actually happened, not just what’s being alleged.” This is an argument for caution and prudence, people waiting for facts before acting.

Fox’s blunt response to the accusations

The complaint is made by former Fox Sports hairstylist Noushin Faraji who also makes some other claims against Skip Bayless, Joy Taylor, and Charlie Dixon. Faraji alleges Bayless flirted with her and even offered $1.5 million for personal relations, and that Dixon touched her inappropriately. Faraji also claims Taylor allegedly used racist language and had turned to other means for career advancement. These accusations are still being investigated by Fox Sports, which has not disciplined anyone in the lawsuit.

Fox’s response to the lawsuit has come into question because Joy Taylor and Emmanuel Acho both kept their respective shows going the day the accusations came out. The network confirmed that it’s investigating, but did nothing publicly to resolve the allegations as of yet. It’s riled fans up as they have wondered why Taylor was allowed to air again when the investigation is ongoing. And as one Twitter user said “If she were a man, would they be like this? (as part of a more general idea that the case might have been handled differently had the accused been male.)

This case, and Fox’s response to it, have been subject to significant public backlash. Fans have taken to social media to complain that the network’s response hasn’t been swift and open enough. And letting Joy Taylor host without publicly commenting on the allegations has some wondering if Fox is seriously listening. The case remains under investigation and with that, the public and the industry will be watching to see how it all shakes out.

As Stephen A Smith said with wisdom to citizens, “Let the process play out” until the case is concluded before jumping to conclusions. With so many charges and so much at stake, only time will tell how these charges are dealt with and how they will affect those accused.