ESPN star Stephen A. Smith had strong words for Tiger Woods after the legendary golfer was arrested on multiple charges following a rollover crash in Florida last week.
Smith appeared on "First Take" on Wednesday after Woods said he was going to step away from golf to "seek treatment." Woods was arrested on driving under the influence with property damage and refusal to submit to a blood alcohol level (BAL) test charges. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
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The ESPN personality appeared to take issue with Woods’ apparent concerns about privacy as the reason why he wouldn’t hire a driver. The report appeared in People earlier in the week.
"Bump his privacy," Smith said. "We don’t give a damn about his privacy. We don’t care right now. You’ve been behind the wheel of a vehicle inebriated three times. Ain’t nobody trying to know all your business. What we want to know is you ain’t gonna get behind the wheel of a damn car when you’re inebriated. You’re lucky you didn’t kill somebody. That’s what we want to hear. Nothing else is our business. Nothing else is our business."
This marks the second DUI arrest for Woods in the last decade. He was also taken into custody on Jupiter Island in 2017 after being asleep behind the wheel of a running vehicle at 3 a.m. after taking prescription drugs.
Woods was also involved in a 2021 rollover crash in Los Angeles that resulted in serious leg injuries and emergency surgeries, which is what he was alluding to during the field sobriety tests. Police at the time said an empty, unlabeled pill bottle was found in his vehicle. He wasn’t charged in that crash.
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Woods was found with two hydrocodone pills in his pants pocket during Friday’s crash investigation, according to a police affidavit.
"Damn that privacy. I don’t give a damn what you’re worried about. You must have a very highly suspect life that you, as a billionaire, don’t even want to hire a driver," Smith continued. "Something’s wrong. Something’s wrong with that. You want your privacy. Privacy from what? What’s the driver gonna do? ‘Cus he dropped you off some place he don’t know where he dropped you off? I mean, damn, what are you trying to hide? It’s a rhetorical question because I don’t care. And none of us should care. It’s not our business. What is our business is you staying away from being behind the wheel of a vehicle when you’re inebriated of whatever drug it is."
Woods said he was committed to taking the time he needed to returning to a "healthier, stronger and more focused place, both personally and professionally."
"This is three times, three, that he has been caught by law enforcement behind the wheel of a vehicle inebriated," Smith added. "Bump your statements. We don’t care. We don’t care. What we care to hear from you is that we don’t have to worry about you being behind the wheel of a vehicle inebriated again. That’s it.
"Go ahead and get better. You understand? And live your life. And be at peace, man. Ain’t nobody wishing any harm upon you. But what you did, potentially harmed somebody else. You’re lucky you didn’t kill somebody, if not yourself."
