Renowned sports commentator Stephen A. Smith had some profound words to share about the recent allegations involving rising basketball star, Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves, and internet personality Paige Jordae. On his popular YouTube series, ‘The Stephen A. Smith Show’, the ESPN figurehead was explicit while discussing this contentious issue that has been causing a stir in both social media and sports circles.
Jordae accused Edwards of leaving her pregnant and then attempted to persuade her to end the pregnancy by offering a hefty sum of $100,000. Smith didn’t shy away from the matter on his show, sharing his thoughts candidly and emphasizing the broader implications of this controversy that has enveloped Edwards.
Smith stated, ‘A public figure like Anthony Edwards found himself needing to apologize not just because of the incident, but due to his stature as a public personality.’ The young Timberwolves guard felt pressured to take responsibility for the situation, publicly addressing it through a social media statement.
Smith continues: ‘The paramount lesson to extract here, however, is the importance of caution when choosing whom to involve oneself with.’ He reiterated that private actions of a public figure like Anthony Edwards, whoever he is involved with or has got pregnant, should not be the public’s concern.
Smith argued that the relationship between Edwards and Jordae was a private affair until Jordae brought it to the public domain by releasing alleged exchanges with Edwards. ‘We are part of a societal structure where Anthony’s personal opinions and decisions should be his own. There are pro-choice advocates and pro-lifers nationwide.’
Expressing his frustration, Smith loudly lamented about his desire to discuss basketball matters on his show but felt compelled to address Edwards’ personal affairs because Jordae had chosen to publicize them. ‘While she has every right to do as she wishes with her body, this is essentially a private issue that has been undesirably brought into the public sphere,’ Smith explained.
Smith sternly stated, ‘If Anthony Edwards does not desire for the child to be born, that’s his personal decision. Despite not endorsing abortion myself, I’m an advocate for freedom of choice.’
Smith added, ‘Our role is not to pass judgment on Anthony Edwards. The problem here arises from the fact that she chose to publicly share personal messages, thus forcing him to confront the issue openly due to the inappropriate manner in which he expressed himself.’
Edwards responded to the accusations by releasing a statement, saying: ‘I made comments in the heat of a moment that are not in line with my beliefs’. This response came after Jordae accused him of pressuring her to abort the baby and claiming he does not want children.
In additional to her allegations, Jordae provided purported evidence of a pending wire transfer of $100,000 dated November 27, 2023, from JP Morgan Chase & Co., though the sender or recipient details were not visible. Jordae, who boasts a follower count of 1.4 million on Instagram and a further 416,000 on a separate verified account, certainly got people talking with her posts.
Jordae also claimed she received messages from Edwards such as ‘Just take the pills’ and ‘Ok, make sure I receive the video of the box with the correct pills.’ Other shared messages included: ‘You got the money, what’s holding you up?’ and ‘My lawyer will take care of it.’
Jordae emphasized her intention was not to stir public outrage, but rather to shed light on the irresponsibility she felt Edwards was displaying. A message from Jordae read: ‘I have never turned to the internet about anyone. I attempted several times to handle this privately but was ignored.’
She further added: ‘I’ve felt deceived and manipulated by someone who’s fully aware of their actions but refuses to take ownership of them. It seems the public is quick to point fingers and it looks like I’m the one in the crosshairs now.’
Edwards, who was the number one overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, is believed to be in a relationship with Jeanine Robel. Now in his fourth season with Minnesota, Edwards has impressive averages of 24.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.1 assists, although his off-court issue has unfortunately diverted some attention away from his sportsmanship.
The Minnesota Timberwolves organization has yet to comment on the ongoing controversy involving their star player.
