Corey Holcomb has lit a wildfire with his explosive claims about Stephen A. Smith and Molly Qerim. The radio host outright stated that the two were involved with each other romantically during their time at ESPN.
Smith is currently holding his place as the host of First Take after Qerim left ESPN. Many people had speculated on why the former host chose to leave the show’s host duties. Qerim had explained that it was the right time for her to move on.
Holcomb has now come up with some eye-opening claims as he recounted a conversation he had with Qerim’s ex-husband, Jalen Rose. He stated on the Corey Holcomb 5150 Show that Rose was upset with him for revealing Smith and Qerim’s affair. Holcomb also asked why Rose had stayed with Qerim in the first place since she was a draining person.
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“(Rose) was disappointed at the things I had said because I said, ‘I think Stephen A. Smith is smashing Molly (Qerim).’ Why would somebody be around a woman as draining as that? She checked Jalen on the show when they was married!”
He Claimed Qerim Was At ESPN For Longer Because Of Stephen A. Smith
Molly Qerim used to host ESPN’s First Take before Stephen A. Smith assumed the mantle. The two seemed to have respect for one another. The Straight Shooter even expressed his disappointment that Qerim had completely walked away from the network and praised her work.
It seems that Holcomb had a few answers about why Qerim had walked away from hosting. He suggested that she had only lasted so long because of Stephen A. Smith. The radio show host alleged that Qerim was an awful person to be around and was made to walk away.
“Molly had a terrible attitude. She was straight b**ch but she was allowed to stick around for a long time. That’s how I knew. I was like, ‘He got to be f**king that b**ch.’ … Nobody would tolerate a Molly. Molly is a awful person.”
Reports had come out that stated that Qerim had been offered another contract at ESPN. However, she had made up her mind and stuck to her decision.
Qerim Exited The Network This Year
Qerim had joined the network back in 2006, working on digital and mobile platforms. She would become the host of First Take in 2015, replacing Cari Champion. One year later, she began dating her former husband, Jalen Rose, with the two tying the knot in 2018.
The former ESPN personalities would divorce three years later in 2021, with court documents stating that their marriage was ‘irretrievably broken.’ She continued hosting through this period until it was reported that she would leave the network at the end of the year. Qerim confirmed in September that she would not be returning alongside Stephen A. Smith to host once again.
Published: Dec 18, 2025 04:14 pm