Skip Bayless is the latest sports media figure to be saddled by controversy. The veteran analyst is being sued by a woman named Noushin Faraji for alleged sexual harassment. The former Fox stylist claims Skip Bayless offered her $1.5 million to have sex in July 2021. Stephen A Smith worked with Bayless for many years on First Take. It was only natural that the sports personality weigh in on the lawsuit, and he did just that on his show. Stephen A Smith admitted that he was found the suit against Skip Bayless "shocking." Not for the reason you might think, though.
Smith was beside himself when sifting through the Skip Bayless allegations. He claimed he couldn't "imagine" his former First Take partner doing such a thing. The main reason? Bayless' alleged cheap nature. "I can’t imagine it," Stephen A Smith posited. "Especially when they brought up the $1.5 million. The Skip Bayless I know has a hard time giving away $15. He’s one of the cheapest people I know." He made it clear that he did not know Faraji personally, however, and was therefore going to avoid weighing in on whether or not she was telling the truth.
Stephen A Smith Claims Skip Bayless Is Notoriously Frugal
"That doesn’t mean that I had any inside knowledge about any of this," Stephen A Smith added. "I don’t and I’m not going to get involved." The sports analyst made it clear that he has respect for Skip Bayless, and believes that the allegations against him are extremely out of character. "Imagining him being in this kind of position is shocking to say the least," Smith told his viewers. "All I can tell you is that it’s not the Skip Bayless I know."
"I'm very, very heartbroken that he finds himself in this situation," Stephen A Smith concluded. "Being accused of these allegations. But I can’t be over the airways being irresponsible and attaching truth or guilt to anything that I know nothing about." Skip Bayless has not yet responded to the lawsuit. Faraji's attorney told Newsweek that she may also bring legal action against other network executives in the coming weeks.