Stephen A's Take: Why can't I be a character witness for Jay Z?

Summary

The Stephen A. Smith Show: Detailed Summary of "Stephen A's Take: Why Can't I Be a Character Witness for Jay Z?"

Release Date: December 15, 2024
Host: Stephen A. Smith
Podcast Network: iHeartPodcasts

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1. Introduction to the Topic

In this compelling episode of The Stephen A. Smith Show, host Stephen A. Smith delves deep into the contentious lawsuit involving music mogul Jay Z and Sean "Diddy" Combs. The episode, titled "Why Can't I Be a Character Witness for Jay Z?", presents Stephen A.'s unfiltered perspectives on the allegations, his personal indignation, and the broader implications for those involved.

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2. Overview of the Jay Z Lawsuit

Stephen A. begins by addressing the recent lawsuit filed against Jay Z and Sean Combs, which accuses them of raping a 13-year-old girl over two decades ago. He outlines the basic facts of the case, highlighting Jay Z's public defense and the legal maneuvers employed by his attorney, Tony Busby.

Notable Quote:
"These allegations are so heinous in nature that I implore you to file a criminal complaint, not a civil one. Whomever would commit such a crime against a minor should be locked away."
— Jay Z, [02:10]

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3. Stephen A.'s Response and Emotions

Expressing profound frustration, Stephen A. conveys his anger not just towards the allegations but also towards various individuals in his life and public figures. He emphasizes his commitment to addressing the issue with "candor and clarity," rejecting any form of behind-the-scenes manipulation or misinformation.

Notable Quote:
"I'm not going to lie to you, I'm pissed off. I'm pretty pissed off at a lot of people."
— Stephen A. Smith, [01:06]

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4. Impact on Jay Z’s Business Ventures

The lawsuit's potential repercussions on Jay Z's business endeavors, particularly his company's partnership with the NFL to produce the Super Bowl halftime show, are discussed. Stephen A. references NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's stance, which maintains that the relationship with Jay Z remains unaffected despite the ongoing litigation.

Notable Quote:
"We know, obviously, that litigation is happening, but from our standpoint, our relationship is not changing with them, including our preparations for the next Super Bowl."
— Roger Goodell, NFL Commissioner, [02:45]

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5. The Right to Defend Friends

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to Stephen A.'s right and desire to vouch for Jay Z based on their long-standing relationship. He underscores the difficulty of standing by someone accused of such a grave offense without personal knowledge of their character over a 25-year friendship.

Notable Quote:
"If you know somebody for 25 years, do you not have the right to say, I've known that person for 25 years. I can't see that happening."
— Stephen A. Smith, [04:36]

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6. The Nature of Allegations and Presumption of Innocence

Stephen A. carefully navigates the complex terrain of presumption of innocence, clarifying that while he acknowledges the severity of the allegations, he refrains from declaring Jay Z guilty without concrete evidence. He emphasizes that his stance is rooted in personal trust and long-term acquaintance rather than legal judgment.

Notable Quote:
"I don't know anything. I'm not espousing innocence or guilt from a literal perspective."
— Stephen A. Smith, [04:07]

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7. Reflections on Personal Relationships and Trust

Drawing from his own experiences, Stephen A. reflects on the importance of personal relationships and the trust built over decades. He shares anecdotes about friends and colleagues who have stood by him, strengthening his belief in vouching for others' characters based on personal interactions rather than public accusations.

Notable Quote:
"I've got people in the industry that are my friends and my, not just my colleagues and contemporaries, my friends. They've known me for decades."
— Stephen A. Smith, [04:58]

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8. Stephen A.'s Empathy for Victims

Despite his defense of Jay Z, Stephen A. unequivocally condemns sexual violence. He expresses deep empathy for victims, highlighting the irreversible damage such crimes inflict. His remarks reflect a nuanced stance that separates his personal relationships from his moral stance against sexual misconduct.

Notable Quote:
"My sympathy and my empathy is extreme when it comes to anybody that has been raped. Women are obviously far more often victims of such a heinous crime than men."
— Stephen A. Smith, [10:12]

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9. Conclusion and Final Thoughts

In concluding the episode, Stephen A. reiterates his unwavering support for Jay Z based on their long-term friendship. He calls for a balanced perspective that considers personal relationships while respecting the gravity of legal allegations. His final remarks emphasize the need for empathy, justice, and a measured approach to high-profile cases.

Notable Quote:
"But what you can say is those who you do feel that way about, you can never imagine them doing that because you'd never consider them a friend if you could imagine them doing that."
— Stephen A. Smith, [13:23]

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Final Notes

Throughout the episode, Stephen A. Smith maintains a passionate and articulate discourse, balancing personal loyalty with a stern condemnation of sexual violence. His candid approach provides listeners with an insider's perspective on navigating complex legal and moral landscapes, all while engaging with pressing societal issues.

For those interested in Stephen A.'s unfiltered opinions and in-depth analyses, this episode serves as a quintessential example of his approach to tackling controversial and high-stakes topics.

Transcript

[Greg Rosenthal]

What's up, everyone? It's Greg Rosenthal and I'm teaming up with the king of spring, Daniel Jeremiah. He requires me to say that we're going to be bringing you 40s and free agents, the only podcast you'll need this NFL draft season. From DJs mock drafts to my top 101, free agents will have it covered for you with all new episodes every Thursday keeping you up to date as we head to the NFL Draft. Listen to 40s and free agents starting on March 6th on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Julie Swerbinks]

What's up, everyone? Julie Swerbinks here along with former NHL player Nate Thompson.

[Nate Thompson]

We're doing a new podcast together. Here we go.

[Julie Swerbinks]

The name Energy Line with Nate and jsb.

[Nate Thompson]

Each week we'll get together and talk about hockey life. All topics are fair game, right?

[Julie Swerbinks]

Exactly. And you'll never know who will drop by to join us.

[Nate Thompson]

Julia's pretty well connected. She has text threads going that you wouldn't believe.

[Julie Swerbinks]

Listen to Energy Line with Nate and jsb on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Stephen A. Smith]

On this particular day, we gonna start with the whole Jay Z thing because I'm not gonna lie to you, I'm pissed off. I'm pretty pissed off at a lot of people. I'm pissed off at some folks in the public. I'm pissed off at some folks in my own damn family. I'm pissed off at folks on my staff. I'm, I'm pissed off at everybody. Okay? Because I don't like to be misconstrued. It kind of gets on my last damn nerves. So we gonna get started by touching on this subject and attacking it with the level of candor and, and, and clarity that I like. Okay? So there's no, there's no mimicking or muttering behind closed doors. All right, we're going to get started with the Jay Z headlines. Obviously, for all of you who didn't know Sleeping Under a Rock, he was named in a lawsuit earlier this week alongside Sean Diddy Combs. The suit accuses both men of raping a 13 year old girl more than 20 years ago. Jay Z came out swinging in his defense, calling out the attorney Tony Busby, who reportedly approached Jay Z with a demand letter before attaching his name. In the Diddy suit, Jay Z even called on Busby to file a criminal complaint. Here's the statement from Jay Z in the immediate aftermath of the news breaking quote, these allegations are so heinous in nature that I implore you to file a criminal complaint, not a civil one. Whomever would commit such a crime against a minor should be locked away. Would you not agree these alleged victims would deserve real justice if that were the case? End quote. In the aftermath of the suit, many have wondered what impact the allegations would have on Jay Z and his businesses. His company, ROC Nation, has a partnership deal with the National Football League to produce the super bowl halftime show. Here's what Commissioner Roger Goodell of the NFL had to say this week when asked about the suit. Quote, we are aware of the civil allegations and Jay Z's really strong response to that. We know, obviously, that litigation is happening, but from our standpoint, our relationship is not changing with them, including our preparations for the next super bowl, end quote. One could easily surmise that saying, innocence until proven guilty. But we won't even go there. We won't even go there. And in the interest of full disclosure, when I say family, I'm not talking about media family. You talk about cousins and aunts and people like that. You're talking about people who you consider family. You're talking about people that you work with every day, colleagues and all of this other stuff. All right? I have tremendous people that work for me.

[Unknown Speaker]

I'm very proud of myself.

[Stephen A. Smith]

And even though I get in their ass a lot of times when. Especially when they get on my last damn nerves, as they have done today, okay? In the end, I want to preface my comments about them and anybody who thinks like them, some of them. I want to preface my comments by saying I know they're doing it to look out for me, and I appreciate it. But I can appreciate you looking out for me and still be annoyed to shit at you, because that's where I'm going here. The reason why I'm going in this direction, ladies and gentlemen, is because I want you to understand something. When I spoke about Jay Z and I saw my comments all over social media and I saw it everywhere, you didn't hear me say I had knowledge of the case.

[Unknown Speaker]

You didn't hear me say I had.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Knowledge of who Jane Doe is.

[Unknown Speaker]

You didn't hear me say that I knew a scintilla of what the hell these allegations entail other than what all of you know. I don't know anything. I'm not espousing innocence or guilt from a literal perspective. But what I'm saying to you, to all of you in America, in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, where I just came from, to Africa, to England and France and everywhere in between what I'm saying to you is this.

[Stephen A. Smith]

If you know somebody for 25 years, do you not have the right to say, I've known that person for 25 years. I can't see that. I can't see that happening.

[Unknown Speaker]

Do you know how I would feel?

[Stephen A. Smith]

I have somebody that works for me, my man Rashan.

[Unknown Speaker]

I got my man Galen that I've.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Known for 25 years.

[Unknown Speaker]

Both of them.

[Stephen A. Smith]

20, 25 years.

[Unknown Speaker]

I've got people in the industry that are my friends and my, not just my colleagues and contemporaries, my friends. They've known me for decades. Stephen A. Smith gets a, gets accused of rape. Y'all got nothing to say? Nothing. You just gonna sit there and, and, and have nothing to say? Just gonna let me hang out there? If you believe in your heart, damn.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I've known him for 25 years. I, I, I can't imagine being guilty of such a thing.

[Unknown Speaker]

Nobody's gonna say that. Nobody. There's nobody in this world that you say that about.

[Stephen A. Smith]

If that's your answer, I feel sorry for you. Because that means you don't believe in anybody. You don't have a heart and a soul enough inside of you to imagine that somebody.

[Unknown Speaker]

Score.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Decency is just too much to think that they would do something like that.

[Unknown Speaker]

That is a generic statement. That is not impugning the alleged accuser. The accuser. That is not impugning even the lawyer. We certainly wouldn't impugn the courts. We wouldn't do that. But I would hope that if somebody knows you for 25 years and you consider them a friend, that you can.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Say, I, I can't, I can't imagine that. I could never see them doing something like that. I don't believe it.

[Unknown Speaker]

You literally have people scurrying in this industry and advising other people. It's not just me. It's a whole bunch of other people. Oh, don't say anything. Don't say anything. Oh, you can't say that. I can't say I know nothing. I'm not casting the spurgeons on anybody. I'm just telling you the person that I have known for 25 years that I have seen around young ladies is not a person I could ever imagine doing something like that. I can't say that because that's all I said. Anything else to go any further would be irresponsible. It would be stupid.

[Stephen A. Smith]

And I don't believe I'm either.

[Unknown Speaker]

So when people come and they want you to be so ultra, ultra, ultra careful. I understand the careful part. I Understand it, but shouldn't you be careful enough to actually listen to my words? You see, this is the same platform where I was raked through the coals for months because I was accused of lumping Donald Trump and criminality in the black community. When I was asked a question about his direct supporters and how they felt about his assertions that there was relatability, that is the question I was answering. It didn't stop the NAACP from opening their mouth. It didn't stop colleagues and contemporaries from opening their mouth. I had friends that I've known for decades that opened their mouth and just jumped on the bandwagon along with everybody else and forgot who I was.

[Stephen A. Smith]

How you think I feel about them now? Because all you had to do was listen to what I said and say, yo, that's not what he said.

[Unknown Speaker]

Maybe he should have said something differently. Or maybe he's wrong. We'll talk about it. But the cast dispersions on them. Why do you think I get pissed off when I see people on podcasts.

[Stephen A. Smith]

And stuff like that, talking all the time? It's never with people that don't know me.

[Unknown Speaker]

And if you're an enemy like a.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Couple of people are, because it's just a couple. It's really just one that makes up a couple. But I ain't gonna go there today.

[Unknown Speaker]

Outside of that, I don't sweat it. You have a right to your opinion, whoever you are.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Just contextualize it accurately and stick to.

[Unknown Speaker]

The actual issue as opposed to using.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Something to branch out and castigate people's character. My sympathy and my empathy is extreme when it comes to anybody that has been raped. Women are obviously far more often victims of such a heinous crime than men. I have friends who are Muslims, who are Christians, who are Jewish, who are Catholic. Hell, I even know a couple of atheists. And the people that I know when it comes to issues of rape, they consider that tantamount to murder.

[Unknown Speaker]

It. To rape a woman is to kill her. To kill a part of her there is not. Outside of literally taking her life, that is what you have done to her. It's just that blood is still circulating.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Through her body and she's still able.

[Unknown Speaker]

To breathe, but she's dead. It should never be condoned, ever. In anybody who's guilty of that, at the very least, should be thrown under the damn jail.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Fine. Outside of that, if somebody is accused and they adamantly deny it and you believe their character is incapable of such a thing, it's not you okaying such a heinous act. It's you saying that act is so heinous, I don't believe that person is capable of that. Based on the person that I've known for 25 years.

[Unknown Speaker]

And if I were ever to found.

[Stephen A. Smith]

To be wrong, I'd be sick to my stomach. As we all should be.

[Unknown Speaker]

Simple.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Forget Jay Z for a second. I've got plenty of friends.

[Unknown Speaker]

I got cats that I grew up with. My man Cardell, my man Mark, Pulley, Spank Ski, Boris. The cats that I went to school with, the cats that I grew up with. You come to me and tell me and remember. I grew up in Hollis, Queens. I grew up around drug dealers and drug users and yes, murderers. There's few cats that I grew up with, they in jail or dead. So you don't vouch for everybody in terms of what you believe.

[Stephen A. Smith]

But what you can say is those who you do feel that way about, you can never imagine them doing that because you'd never consider them a friend if you could imagine them doing that.

[Unknown Speaker]

That's all. That's.

[Stephen A. Smith]

That's all I wanted to say about it. Nothing else.

[Unknown Speaker]

I don't understand why that's controversial when I know nothing. I wasn't there. I have no idea who the accuser. I don't know anything. All I was saying is that I.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Know the guy for 25 years. It's hard for me to imagine he could ever be guilty.

[Unknown Speaker]

Not that guy that I've been around.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I can't imagine it.

[Unknown Speaker]

That's all.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Nothing more than that. Nothing more.

[Greg Rosenthal]

What's up, everyone? It's Greg Rosenthal and I'm teaming up with the king of spring, Daniel Jeremiah. He requires me to say that we're going to be bringing you 40s and free agents, the only podcast you'll need this NFL draft season. From DJs mock drafts to my top 101, free agents will have it covered for you with all new episodes every Thursday keeping you up to date as we head to the NFL Draft. Listen to 40s and free agents starting on March 6th on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Julie Swerbinks]

What's up, everyone? Julie Swerbinks here along with former NHL player Nate Thompson.

[Nate Thompson]

We're doing a new podcast together. Here we go.

[Julie Swerbinks]

The Name Energy Line with Nate and jsb.

[Nate Thompson]

Each week we'll get together and talk about hockey life. All topics are fair game, right?

[Julie Swerbinks]

Exactly. And you'll never know who will drop by to join us.

[Nate Thompson]

Julie is pretty well connected. She has text threads going that you wouldn't believe.

[Julie Swerbinks]

Listen to Energy Line with Nate and jsb on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.