Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett is not accepting Stephen A. Smith’s apology — and she’s making that crystal clear.

Days after the ESPN and media personality released a video claiming his intent had been “misinterpreted,” the Texas lawmaker fired back, calling the gesture “a performance, not accountability.”

“Let’s be honest,” Crockett said Thursday. “This wasn’t an apology. It was a PR maneuver — a desperate attempt to protect a brand, not acknowledge harm. I don’t need Stephen A. Smith’s validation. I need men in media to stop talking at Black women like we’re their lecture audience.”

Her response came after Smith posted a three-minute video on social media, expressing “respect” for Crockett and insisting his original comments — which described her tone toward Republicans as “street verbiage” — had been “mistranslated.”

But Crockett isn’t buying it.

A “Sorry” That Doesn’t Heal

“This is the oldest trick in the book,” she said in a follow-up statement. “You insult a Black woman in public, then offer a half-hearted apology wrapped in compliments, hoping it makes you sound noble. That’s not reconciliation. That’s reputation management.”

Crockett’s refusal to accept Smith’s apology has ignited a wider debate across political and media circles about the way Black women — particularly those in positions of power — are spoken to, critiqued, and diminished under the guise of “constructive commentary.”

Smith’s initial remarks, aired during a recent podcast segment, questioned Crockett’s sharp exchanges with Republicans in Congress. “When you represent 750,000 people, that’s not going to get you anywhere,” he said. He also implied that Crockett’s language was “street verbiage,” suggesting it lacked professionalism and strategy.

The backlash was immediate.

Political commentators, journalists, and activists from across the spectrum condemned the phrasing as condescending and racially coded. SiriusXM host Reecie Colbert called Smith’s remarks “another example of respectability politics aimed squarely at women who refuse to tone themselves down for male approval.”

Former Congressman Bakari Sellers added, “Black women don’t need permission to be passionate — especially not from men who make their living performing outrage for a camera.”

Crockett: “Don’t Apologize for Optics”

In her own words, Crockett explained why she could not — and would not — accept Smith’s statement.

“You don’t apologize because your comments were misunderstood,” she said. “You apologize because they were wrong. And until he can say that plainly, there’s nothing to accept.”

The congresswoman, who represents Texas’s 30th District — a constituency spanning parts of Dallas and Tarrant counties — has built a reputation for speaking truth to power with clarity and fire. She has faced both racism and sexism in the halls of Congress, including open hostility from certain Republican colleagues and even dismissive remarks from administration officials.

“Black women in politics are constantly told to smile more, talk softer, be less,” Crockett continued. “And when we refuse, the narrative becomes that we’re angry, unrefined, or unprofessional. That narrative is violence disguised as advice.”

The Broader Issue: Respect vs. Reputation

Crockett’s reaction underscores a growing exhaustion among women in public life with what they see as performative accountability — the kind of apology that seeks to repair the speaker’s image, not the listener’s injury.

For many, Smith’s video only deepened that frustration. His tone was calm, his words carefully chosen — but his framing remained self-centered. “I have no problem apologizing to my sister,” he said, emphasizing that his comments had been “misconstrued and misinterpreted.”

To Crockett and her supporters, that phrasing matters. “When a man says his words were ‘misunderstood,’ he’s shifting blame,” said political analyst Nia Raymond. “He’s implying that the real problem isn’t what he said — it’s that women heard it wrong.”

And that, Crockett argued, is exactly why she’s standing her ground.

Beyond One Apology

Crockett also pointed to what she described as “a pattern” — where powerful media voices claim to champion accountability until it costs them something real.

“He said he’s not afraid of being ‘canceled,’” she noted. “But here’s the truth: people like me don’t have the luxury of controlling the narrative after we’re disrespected. We have to live with it, every time we walk into a room where people have already decided we’re too much.”

Even as she faces a possible Senate run, Crockett insists her focus remains on her work — expanding affordable housing, protecting voting rights, and strengthening economic protections for working families in Texas.

“Apologies don’t build homes or protect rights,” she said. “Accountability does.”

Meanwhile, Smith’s defenders argue that his comments were blown out of proportion. They claim he was urging strategic communication, not condescension. But to many, that argument only underscores the problem.

“Calling out injustice doesn’t require a permission slip or a tone check,” said journalist Maya Hollingsworth. “When men in media police a woman’s passion, they’re not mentoring — they’re maintaining hierarchy.”

“This Wasn’t for Me — It Was for His Brand”

Crockett ended her remarks with finality.

“Stephen A. Smith’s apology wasn’t for me,” she said. “It was for his audience, his sponsors, and his ego. I don’t need another man telling me how I should fight for my people. What I need is for him — and every man who looks like him — to start fighting beside us.”

Her words have resonated widely, sparking renewed discussions about gender, race, and the unequal standards applied to women in leadership.

Whether Smith chooses to respond again remains unclear. But one thing is certain: Jasmine Crockett isn’t waiting for another apology — and she’s not interested in playing the part of the “forgiven.”

“We’re not here to soothe egos,” she said. “We’re here to change systems. And if that makes people uncomfortable, good. That’s how progress begins.”