Stephen A. Smith didn’t hedge when the conversation turned to dating during a recent appearance on Funky Friday. Sitting across from Cam Newton on May 1, the ESPN personality laid out exactly what he looks for in a partner—and he made it clear that, for him, attraction isn’t secondary.
When Newton asked what matters most, Smith initially began listing traits like “intelligence” and “conversation,” before stopping himself mid-thought.
“Let me guess. Let me scratch that,” he said. “That’s two and three on the list. Sex appeal starts. It starts there.”
From there, he didn’t soften the point. Smith framed attraction as the foundation, not an added bonus, explaining that without it, nothing else moves forward.
“If I’m not interested, I’m not interested,” he said. “We’re not going to sit here and lie. If I’m not attracted to you, it ain’t going to work.”
He continued in the same direct tone, emphasizing that personal preference is non-negotiable. “I like what I like and you need to possess those qualities otherwise it’s just not going to work,” Smith added. “It’s just that simple. Sex appeal. Figure it out.”
Even when discussing his broader approach to life, Smith pointed back to standards and effort, saying, “Nobody give this to me. I worked my ass off. Nobody can question that.”
The exchange fits naturally into the kind of conversations Newton has been having across his platforms, where he’s been increasingly open about how his views on relationships have evolved.
