ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith Candidly Discusses Depression Battle: ‘I Wished I Was Dead’

Editors’ note: If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide or is in emotional distress, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or at suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith may be known for his humorous diatribes and larger-than-life presence on televisions across the country, but he can also be serious when the occasion demands it.

Take, for example, Wednesday's episode of The Stephen A. Smith Show. As a frequent critic of the Cowboys, Smith has been out in full force in the wake of Dallas’s 42–10 loss to the 49ers on Saturday. However, he dropped the act to discuss his respect for Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and his openness about his struggles with anxiety and depression.

Smith found parallels between the story of Prescott—as well as Prescott’s brother, who died by suicide in the spring of 2020—and his own.

“Anybody who knows me know that on June 1, 2017, to be exact … that was the day I lost the greatest woman I’ve ever known. I lost the greatest human being I’ve ever known. And that was Janet Smith, my mother,” Smith said. “I never thought about killing myself. But for two years, every single day at some moment in time, I wished I was dead. That is how bad my life was without my mother.”

There was a time when I wished I was dead. I had to go to therapy. pic.twitter.com/SDmtp5aCLv

— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) October 11, 2023

Haunted by the experience of watching his mother’s casket lowered into the ground, Smith revealed that he sought therapy. He ended his discussion by expressing well wishes to Prescott.

“I don’t want that brother to ever feel like he’s in that kind of abyss,” Smith said.