Ex-ESPN host Keith Olbermann says Stephen A. Smith 'prostituted himself to the right' amid Charlie Kirk outrage

2 hours ago 8

By OLIVER SALT, US ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

Published: 13:42 BST, 20 September 2025 | Updated: 13:46 BST, 20 September 2025

Former ESPN anchor Keith Olbermann has sparked fury again after accusing Stephen A. Smith of 'prostituting himself to the right wing' - just days after his vile claim about the late Charlie Kirk.

Olbermann, who once hosted flagship ESPN show SportsCenter, caused outrage with his reaction to late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel being suspended by ABC over his divisive comments about Kirk's assassination last week.

After telling broadcast group Sinclair to 'burn in hell' in a post on X, he despicably added: 'Alongside Charlie Kirk.'

Now Olbermann has switched his attention to Smith, who turned on Disney colleague Kimmel this week for claiming the 'MAGA gang' was trying to gain political points over Kirk's murder in Utah.

'The only thing that I would say as it pertains to Jimmy Kimmel is, where was the joke?' Smith said on his SiriusXM show Straight Shooter. 'Because you're a late-night host — and obviously that has a comedic attachment to it. Where was the joke? Obviously, it wasn't anything funny about that.'

And Olbermann has hit out at the First Take star, branding him a 'f***ing idiot' for 'prostituting' himself to the right with his criticism of Kimmel. 

Former ESPN anchor Keith Olbermann (left) has accused Stephen A. Smith (right) of 'prostituting himself to the right wing'

Smith was critical of Jimmy Kimmel after his divisive comments about Charlie Kirk this week

Olbermann branded the First Take star a 'f***ing idiot' for condemning talk show host Kimmel

'Just adding to what has been true for years: @stephenasmith is a f***ing idiot,' he wrote on X alongside a clip of Smith's comments. 'And now he smells money prostituting himself to, and collaborating with, the right wing'.

After his disgusting 'hell' jibe about Kirk - who was fatally shot while speaking with students at Utah Valley University last Wednesday - Olbermann doubled down on his support of Kimmel after insisting that 'nothing [he] said was untrue.'

He later turned his attack on to ABC and parent company Disney, accusing the organization of 'prostituting themselves for Trump' after Kimmel's 'truth telling about Charlie Kirk's hate speech' and MAGA's 'exploitation of his death.'

Olbermann's posts sparked outrage on social media with users branding him 'vile scum' and urging him to 'get help.'

'Late Stage Leftism,' one user wrote. 'Don’t become an angry, old, washed up Leftist. THIS is what happens.' 

'Please do not delete this. Everyone needs to see it and to stop denying how wicked your party has become,' added another. 

As well as his criticism of the 'MAGA gang', Kimmel falsely insinuated that Kirk's killer - 22-year-old Tyler Robinson - was conservative despite investigators stating he has far-left ideologies and was in a romantic relationship with a transgender roommate.

The ex-Sports Center host also sparked outrage this week by vilely claiming Kirk is in 'hell'

ABC's affiliate group, Nexstar, additionally shared on Wednesday that it 'strongly objects' to Kimmel's comments and would replace his show 'with other programming in its ABC-affiliated markets.'

Robinson has been taken into custody and appeared in court on Tuesday on multiple charges, including aggravated murder. 

Kirk's assassination rocked the world to its core last week, before a number of his more radical critics disgustingly appeared to celebrate it on social media.

The MAGA influencer, a married father of two, was hit by a single bullet while speaking to a crowd at the public university in Orem. He collapsed immediately after and was rushed to hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.

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