- Stephen A. Smith made this powerful admission on his own YouTube show
- The analyst admitted to thinking about the impact his reporting might have on other people
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Stephen A. Smith opened up about his mental health struggles when his mother gave a tearful speech to camera on his YouTube show in June 2017.
Smith’s inclusion came as part of a broader segment on his self-titled show and how he assesses the influence of his NFL coverage on stars like Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.
The ESPN First Take host has often enjoyed the Cowboys’ struggles and criticized Prescott’s performances this season.
But he revealed that a friend had recently contacted him before he went on air and brought attention to Prescott’s mental health struggles in 2020, when his brother committed suicide seven years after their mother’s death.
“I’m a human being first and foremost.” “If I’m being completely honest, I know the feeling,” Smith, 55, said before discussing the death of his own mother six years ago.
Stephen A. Smith tearfully admitted the impact his mother’s death had on him
Janet Smith died six years ago, on June 1, 2017, after a battle with cancer – Smith described her as “the greatest person I have ever known”
“Everyone who knows me knows the day in June, specifically June 1st, and knows what that day is.” That was the day I lost the greatest woman I have ever known. I have lost the greatest person I have ever known. That was Janet Smith, my mother.
“When I came back and read what Dak Prescott said and the struggles his brother had, ladies and gentlemen, I can relate to that.
“I never thought about killing myself, but for two years I wished I was dead at some point every day.” That’s how bad my life was without my mother.
“I’ve said this privately to a lot of people, but one of the worst parts – and my mother battled cancer for a long time and suffered from it – but one of the things that really, really stole my soul… but the part about me. “ This couldn’t go on for so long that I had to go to therapy, but when it dawned on me it was the fact that I was single.
“You’re on your own because you never made that commitment, but you knew your mom loved you unconditionally.” It hit me when the coffin sank into the ground.
“It was over when I felt like it was over.” And I wanted to die because she meant so much to me. I knew I would never have someone like that again for the rest of my life.
“I never want a brother (Prescott) to feel like he’s in such an abyss. “This life is so low. I may make fun of a Cowboys loss, but that means I’m having fun as a fan against Cowboys fans. I wish him no harm.’
Smith is known for his animated and sometimes critical reporting on sports in the USA
Smith praised the resilience of Dak Prescott – the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys
Prescott, 30, opened up about his own struggles in 2020.
“When you have thoughts that you’ve never had before, I think more than anything, that’s a chance to acknowledge them and acknowledge being vulnerable,” Prescott said.
“I talked to my family, to the people around me, just like I did back then.” Some of them had obviously dealt with this before and were able to have these conversations and then reach even more people.
“I think being open about it and not holding back those feelings was one of the better things for me.”