Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry has publicly pushed back against criticism aimed at his wife Ayesha Curry’s acting debut in the holiday film Second Chance Holiday. On Wednesday, Curry posted a 90-second video on Instagram addressing podcasters, including former teammates and athletes, who took issue with clips from the movie showing Ayesha Curry sharing a kiss with co-star Matthew Daddario.
Curry named Nick Young, who was part of the Warriors’ 2017-18 championship team, as well as former NBA player Gilbert Arenas and ex-NFL star Emmanuel Acho among those who had voiced negative opinions. The comments from these podcasters were focused not only on Ayesha Curry’s performance but also extended to their marriage, prompting Curry to respond directly.
“Hey, just wanted to check in right quick,” Curry said in the video. “I’ve been hearing a lot of noise, and usually the noise doesn’t bother me, doesn’t bother Ayesha. But this one in particular, when you’re trying to step on the accomplishments of my wife and, obviously, leading podcast tapings and topics and giving opinions on somebody else’s wife. Nick, Gil, Emmanuel and anybody else who feels the need to want to have to jump in and give an opinion on something you don’t really know about, something that kinda speaks to a bigger conversation on how you view women in this world and what they’re allowed and what they’re not allowed to do. Even the ignorance behind how acting works.”
Curry’s message urged respect, asking that whenever his wife appears in headlines, the reaction should be congratulations instead of criticism. “Anytime Ayesha Curry shows up in your headline, I kindly suggest you just give it the happy hands, the congratulations. And maybe, just maybe, the apology can be as loud as y’all leading y’all’s shows with this topic,” he said.
Second Chance Holiday premiered on the Roku Channel on November 5, marking Ayesha Curry’s first starring role. Clips showing her romantic scenes with Daddario drew particular attention from the podcasters, sparking the backlash.
Alongside the video, Steph Curry shared photos of Ayesha promoting the film. He concluded his caption with a nod to the podcasters’ unexpected publicity, writing, “Appreciate the free pub. Thank you for giving a nice shoutout to ‘Second Chance Holiday,’ which y’all can find on Roku, starring Ayesha Curry.” He added a playful note to his followers: “You don’t have to like & subscribe to all podcasts,” and ended with a message to his wife: “Keep shining,” followed by a raised hands emoji.
Steph Curry’s sister, Sydel Lee, also commented on the post, emphasizing the broader implications of the criticism. “HEAVY on how it speaks about how the world views women,” she wrote. “Play with someone else. Enough is enough!”
The controversy comes as the Warriors prepare to start a five-game road trip, beginning with a game against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night. The matchup features former teammate Kevin Durant and will be broadcast on ESPN at 6:30 p.m. Pacific.
This incident adds to a busy week for the Warriors, who have seen rookie Yaxel Lendeborg gain media attention and await the return of coach Steve Kerr after weeks of uncertainty.
Steph Curry’s Instagram post remains the latest public comment on the matter, with no indication of further response from the podcasters involved.
According to Yahoo Sports.