Stephen A. Smith made headlines when he expressed his opinion on Rihanna’s potential Super Bowl halftime show, stating that she is not on the same level as Beyoncé. While opinions are subjective, Smith faced backlash for seemingly pitting two black women against each other. Even Jay-Z, who has ties to both Rihanna and Beyoncé, took issue with Smith’s comments.

Jay-Z, known for his support of Beyoncé, called Smith to address the situation. He emphasized that there’s only one Beyoncé and reminded Smith that Rihanna is also considered family, given her connection to Jay-Z’s business endeavors. This response suggests that Jay-Z felt Smith’s comments hit too close to home and could potentially strain relationships within their shared business and personal circles.

It’s worth noting that Jay-Z’s defense of Rihanna might also be rooted in their business ties, as Rihanna is signed under his management company, Roc Nation.

Despite the backlash and Jay-Z’s intervention, Smith stood by his opinion, and the incident highlighted the complexities of navigating personal opinions in the entertainment industry, where relationships and allegiances can be influenced by even seemingly trivial matters.

JAY-Z is known to be highly protective of his family and friends, and he apparently didn’t take kindly to Stephen A. Smith‘s controversial comments about his wife Beyoncé and Roc Nation signee Rihanna.

The ESPN personality stopped by the Connect the Dots podcast on Monday (March 4) and shared a story about Hov phoning him after he ignited a debate about Bey and RiRi’s respective talents.

Smith began by recapping his initial statement, saying: “I love Rihanna. I bought her album, she gets my money. Mad love for her, wish her nothing but the best … But you do know there’s only one Beyoncé.”

The First Take host later revealed that unspecified “Hollywood stars” were mad at him for his remarks and that a few have never spoken to him since.

He also said JAY-Z phoned him up shortly after the drama and gave him a light telling off for speaking out of turn.

“A month later, Hov and I were on the phone,” he shared. “Hov was like, ‘My dawg, you family, that’s family. That’s too close to say that.’ I said, ‘I didn’t know.’ He said, ‘I know.’ Done!

“In other words, it’s a business, it’s a part of it, you don’t know how she’ll receive it, etc. etc. etc. That’s all he had to say. I appreciated that.”

Stephen A. Smith’s initial comments came during a January 2023 appearance on The Sherri Show, where he threw shade at Rihanna ahead of her performance at Super Bowl LVII.

“There’s one thing she’s not, she ain’t Beyoncé,” he said, which was met with boos from the audience. “The only reason I brought up Beyoncé is because Beyoncé recently performed at the Super Bowl.”

RiRi later received an apology from the firebrand sportscaster.

“I just got out of First Take and I saw some headline that’s circulating all over the place about my quote that Rihanna ain’t Beyoncé,” he said in a video posted to Instagram. “See, I’m gonna own it. I know what y’all tryna do but I’m gon’ own it because I get paid to speak for a living so I need to be more careful.”

“I want Rihanna to know: you’re a superstar,” he continued. “You’re sensational. You’re spectacular. You’re no joke. And you are a worthy person to be doing the Super Bowl halftime show.

“Having said all of that, I was answering a question from Sherri Shepherd who took over the Wendy Williams Show and now got her own thing going and I’m very proud of her. And she asked me with a bunch of sisters in the audience what she asked me.”

“Now, I’m a Beyoncé fan,” he added. “I think that Beyoncé is not only a phenomenal performer [but] the phenomenal performer. And the only reason any kind of comparison came into play is because Beyoncé performed at halftime at the Super Bowl not just by herself, but one separate Super Bowl performance with Bruno Mars and Coldplay. And I thought those were two of the greatest shows that I’ve ever seen.

“So what I’m saying is, anybody has to measure up to that … I meant it as no disrespect to Rihanna. I know she’s phenomenal. And she’s my sister. Nothing but love for her. But Beyoncé is my sister too! I got love for both of them.”

Jay-Z accused of “eliminating” his alleged mistress Cathy White

The content you provided discusses a disturbing tweet from Liz Croen accusing Jay-Z of being involved in the death of a woman named Kathy White. The tweet suggests that Jay-Z may have had a relationship with Kathy and played a role in her alleged murder. The information is based on rumors and speculations, and it’s important to note that these are serious allegations that lack concrete evidence.

Kathy White, reportedly a socialite and model, was rumored to be Jay-Z’s mistress in 2010. A year later, she passed away under mysterious circumstances, with initial reports stating that she died from an aneurysm. However, the cause of death became uncertain, and there were suspicions surrounding the circumstances.

The blog post suggests that Kathy was about to go public with her affair with Jay-Z, and there were claims of her being pregnant with his child. Liz Croen, who claims to have spoken to Kathy before her death, insinuates that Jay-Z may have been involved in her demise.

It’s crucial to emphasize that these are unverified claims and should be treated with skepticism. The lack of concrete evidence, combined with the sensitive nature of the allegations, makes it challenging to draw any definitive conclusions. Additionally, Jaguar Wright’s speculative comments add another layer of uncertainty to the narrative.

Overall, it’s essential to approach such allegations with caution and rely on verified information before drawing conclusions about individuals’ involvement in criminal activities.