“Getting flamed by a former 1st lady is wild”: Fans react as Michelle Obama delivers stinging critique of Stephen A. Smith with brutal comparison

Former First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama discussed her experience and views on ESPN and Stephen A. Smith. Obama critiqued the program, pointing out the drama and animosity between the panelists.

She dismissed the network’s commentary as “sociological drama,” likening their programs to the reality TV show, The Real Housewives of Atlanta.

“If I listen to ESPN for an hour, it’s like watching 'The Real Housewives of Atlanta.' You know, it’s the same drama, and they’re yelling at each other, and they don’t get along." Obama said on the "IMO" podcast on Friday. "I mean, Stephen A. Smith, he’s like every other talk show host."

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One of the hosts interfered and suggested that Stephen A. would thrive on the reality TV show.

“Oh, he’d (Stephen A. Smith) be a great Real Housewife.”

Michelle Obama agreed, saying:

“He would be, right? So that’s why I’m like, ‘What’s the difference? It’s just sociological drama.’”

Fans reacted to Michelle Obama’s comments and found the situation hilarious.

“Getting flamed by a former 1st lady is wild 🤣🤣🤣,” One fan said.

Said another fan:

Another fan said:

Fans agreed with Michelle Obama’s assessment and critiqued the network.

Another fan said:

One fan opined:

Stephen A. Smith has a $100 million contract with ESPN

ESPN reportedly signed Smith to a five-year, $100 million contract in March 2025. The TV personality reacted to the news and expressed his happiness in a statement:

“I’m happy and honored to remain a member of the Disney/ESPN family for, at least, the next five years."

ESPN’s chairman, Jimmy Pitaro, expressed his delight with Smith's new contract:

“Stephen A. works incredibly hard to elevate the sports conversation day-in and day-out and we are grateful he will remain at ESPN.”

Smith continues to be the subject of criticism, as not everyone agrees with his views on air. But he is still widely discussed because of them, bringing in views on social media.

Clips of his altercation with LeBron James in March brought in more than 100 million views.

About the author

Sameer is an esports and gaming journalist at Sportskeeda who covers a diverse range of topics. He is currently pursuing a BSc degree from BITS, but his love for video games pushed him to pursue a gaming journalism career. He relies on diligent research and fact-checking to deliver top-notch content. He has previously worked in the hospitality sector with the Oberoi Group.

Sameer’s gaming journey began with Rockstar Games’ GTA franchise, specifically
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. He strongly prefers multiplayer games, with FPS being his favorite genre, and has devoted 6K+ hours to CS:GO! However, he also dabbles in open-world, story-based games from time to time. Solo RPGs like Horizon Forbidden West hold a soft spot in his heart, and he would readily drop in it given a Jumanji-type scenario.

Sameer makes sure to follow Counter-Strike and Valorant esports tournaments, as he believes that watching a game being played at the highest level can be highly educational. He derives inspiration from Tarik's meteoric rise to become one of the biggest FPS streamers in the world following the release of Valorant.

Outside of work, you can find Sameer playing football or cheering for FC Barcelona. He also likes to read and write poetry.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash