Meet Stephen A. Smith's 2 Daughters! All About Samantha and Nyla

Mar. 15, 2025

Stephen A. Smith and his daughter Samantha Smith attend Peacock’s ‘The Best Man: The Final Chapters’ premiere on December 7, 2022, in Hollywood, California.Photo:Unique Nicole/WireImage

Unique Nicole/WireImage

As a sports analyst, Stephen A. Smith does not hold back, but when it comes to his daughters — Samantha and Nyla — he prefers to keep matters to himself.

The broadcaster didn’t reveal that he was a father until 2019, when his two children were already 11 and 10. Smith toldGQthat he credited his kids for helping him find a “new lease of life” following the death of his mother, Janet Smith.

“It’s a blessing, but that love is also a curse because you’re never, ever, ever at peace," he said.

While promoting his bookStraight Shooter: A Memoir of Second Chances and First TakesonThe Breakfast Clubin 2023, Smith spoke about the importance of fatherhood.

“My daughters are everything to me,” he said. “I make sure that they are taken care of first. [My mom] was proud of the father I am and I’m very happy and proud of the father I am.”

Here’s everything to know about Stephen A. Smith’s daughters: Samantha and Nyla.

Samantha A. Smith

Stephen A. Smith and his daughter Samantha Smith attend Peacock’s ‘The Best Man: The Final Chapters’ premiere on December 7, 2022 in Hollywood, California.Unique Nicole/WireImage

Samantha will always have her father in her ear, at least according to Smith.

OnThe Jennifer Hudson Showin 2023, when Samantha was in her early teens, the dad of two said that he wants both his daughters to think of his advice when they start to date and go off to college.

“You can’t be with them 24/7, so you embed in their brain your presence to a point where it’s so repetitive that they can’t escape your voice,” Smith explained, adding that his late mother taught him this parenting trick.

When he isn’t giving words of wisdom, Smith supports Samantha’s acting career. After she starred in Peacock’sThe Best Man: The Final Chapters, the actress attended the premiere with her father at the Hollywood Athletic Club in December 2022.

The following year, Samantha appeared on the Disney+ seriesSaturdays. She’s no stranger to the network, though. Her first voiceover commercial was filmed for Disney when she was 9, and a year later, she was cast in a Pop-Tarts commercial, according toher IMDb.

When Samantha is not working, she manages her school’s theater productions. She is also a writer with dreams of one day creating her own series.

While onThe Breakfast Clubin 2023, Smith shared how having kids changed his life. “My two beautiful daughters have made me a much better man and human being and made me far, far, far more compassionate than I ever thought I would be,” he said.

Nyla Smith

Stephen A. Smith and his daughter Nyla Smith attend game 4 of the 2023 WNBA Finals on October 18, 2023 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.David Dow/NBAE via Getty

David Dow/NBAE via Getty

Smith has shared that there are only two people he refuses to argue with: Samantha and Nyla, and the girls team up against him to get what they want.

“Nyla would pull her sister into their bedroom and huddle like she wasTom Bradyabout to call a play,” Smith penned. “Then Nyla would deliver the bomb: ‘Okay, Daddy. We won’t bug you any longer. We’ll just grab some chips to eat and lie down right here on your beautifulwhitecouch.’ “

“To me, the only thing potentially more enjoyable than seeing my children safe, healthy, and happy is knowing that I’ve helped make them that way,” he added. “And when I fulfill those needs and desires, at no other time does my chest protrude so much with pride and joy.”

Smith has also involved Nyla in his world. The father-daughter duo stepped out together in October 2023 to sit courtside for the WNBA finals.

source: people.com