Stephen A. Smith apologizes for racy remarks in Snoop Dogg interview

A.J. Perez | USA TODAY

Stephen A. Smith apologized during his ESPN Radio show Wednesday, hours after USA TODAY Sports and other outlets reported his coarse response to a question posed by rapper Snoop Dogg.

In the interview posted to Snoop's Double G News Network (GGN) YouTube channel on Tuesday, Smith was asked which part of the female body he preferred.

"Always, always (a term that refers to the buttocks),” Smith, the longtime co-host of ESPN's First Take, responded. "...I know I’m associated with Walt Disney, but everybody knows I’m a bottom feeder.”

An ESPN spokesperson told USA TODAY Sports in an email that Smith was given permission to do the interview, which was conducted in October. Snoop has been a repeat guest on First Take over the years.

"Unfortunately, I answered the question like I answer every question: very, very honestly and matter-of-factly, not thinking anything of it," Smith said during a segment on his national radio show Tuesday afternoon. "Evidently it's a big deal. USA TODAY is writing about it. Lord knows what other publications. It's gone viral. It's everywhere. I guess it's appropriate to apologize. The reason I say that is because of the attention it's brought to my employers, obviously for the wrong reasons and I have to own that.

"If I get in trouble it's a stain on the people that work with you because it's not just about you. It's about them, too. When you look at it that way, I have no problem apologizing. I really, really don't. I don't want to hurt anybody else. I didn't think I was doing that. I honestly didn't. But guess what? You know better. Sometimes you learn better."

There's no indication that Smith would face any sort of discipline for the comments.

Smith was suspended for a week after his comments about Ray Rice's initial suspension by the NFL on First Take in 2014, an opinion he expressed before footage of Rice's assault on his now-wife in an elevator of an Atlantic City casino was leaked.

"Let's make sure we don't do anything to provoke wrong action,” said Smith, a comment many saw as victim blaming.

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