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ESPN star Stephen A. Smith has revealed that he's been left 'really messed up' after struggling to recovery from a surgery last month.
The 'First Take' host opened up on his recent ordeals during Monday's episode of The Stephen A. Smith Show, where he was asked about his growing responsibilities.
Smith remains one of the most active TV personalities in sports and, during the recording, one fan called in to express concern over his workload.
Smith replied: 'You should be worried. You have every legitimate reason to be worried about me based on how I have been the last few weeks.
'Because I had major dental surgery, and I didn't take any time off. I didn't take any time off. That is the only thing that has been bothering me.
'Outside of that, I'm in the best health I've been in in 30 years. I love being on this show, I love being on SiriusXM. I love doing my morning show for ESPN with First Take. I am having the time of my life doing my job.
Stephen A. Smith revealed he's been 'really messed up' after undergoing surgery last month
The ESPN host revealed the news on Monday after a fan expressed concern over his workload
Smith continued: 'I've just been really, really messed up over this dental surgery with stitches in my mouth that I just got taken out and drugs that I've had to be taking over the last three weeks because of pain.
'That's what's been going on with me, sir. I appreciate your concern, it's legit based on what you've seen, but only because of the dental stuff.'
On October 22nd, Smith opened up a 'First Take' episode by admitting that he was not feeling 100 per cent after undergoing dental surgery.
However, it appears that the problem has persisted for nearly three weeks.
Smith - who reportedly earns $40m a year as one of the most influential sports broadcasters in the world - made headlines last week after signing a controversial brand deal with a Solitaire app.
The 58-year-old was announced as Papaya Gaming's 'official ambassador' for the World Solitaire Championship in February last week, which left fans split.
Front Office Sports lifted the curtain on Papaya on Thursday, reporting that the gaming company is fighting a federal lawsuit over claims it falsely marketed 'games of skill' that were rigged with 'unbeatable' AI bots.
The move comes weeks after he went viral for being spotted playing the game on his phone while sat courtside at Game 4 of the NBA Finals.
Earlier in the week, ESPN host Smith was named as an official ambassador for Papaya Gaming
The deal comes five months after Smith was caught playing solitaire on his phone
Papaya's lawsuit fighting its competitor Skillz Platform Inc is still ongoing, though it last month suffered a significant setback.
In an October 27 opinion, as reported by FOS, the judge wrote: 'It is undisputed that Papaya used tailored bots to control the outcomes of tournaments.
'By doing so, Papaya could prevent players from winning – or allow them to win - no matter how they performed in the game.'
Ex-ESPN host Michelle Beadle publicly called him out, claiming on her podcast this week: 'It’s not secret how I feel about that human.
'Honestly, I’m not a religious person, but I pray for the downfall. I really do. It’s gross, man. You gotta have principles in this thing.'
'ESPN pays him a gazillion dollars to get a lot of stuff wrong and yell. He gets caught playing solitaire during the NBA freaking Finals, the thing he’s an expert in.
