Joy Reid is finally speaking out after her headline-making departure from MSNBC earlier this year. The network confirmed her exit in a staff memo, thanking her for years of impactful journalism and highlighting her recent 2025 NAACP Image Award win for Outstanding News Series. With Reid gone, MSNBC shared that rotating anchors will temporarily fill her time slot.
Reid’s exit arrived as the Trump administration continued rolling back Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives. That timing sparked speculation about whether politics or pressure played a role.
Stephen A. Smith quickly chimed in on his show, dismissing any racial element and claiming Reid’s exit came down to ratings.
“Nobody was watching her show,” said Smith.
Now, Reid is clapping back.
In a new interview with Cari Champion, Reid directly addressed Smith’s comments.
“He said I got fired for ratings,” she said. “Sir, you got $100 million for a show with half my ratings at my worst. I had to Google his numbers.”
Joy Reid proceeded to criticize Smith’s media persona. He accused him of being paid to echo narratives that are harmful to Black communities, in particularly Black women.
“They’re paying you not for your numbers,” Reid said. “They’re paying you because you’re willing to say the nasty things about Black people that they want to say, and put the denigration of Black women into a negro’s mouth.”
Stephen A. Smith is reportedly earning close to $40 million annually through his massive ESPN contract SiriusXM deal, and additional revenue from his YouTube channel and podcast.