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The rumors have been swirling at hurricane-force levels from the moment it was revealed that “Real Housewives of Atlanta” star Claudia Jordan would no longer be a member of “The Rickey Smiley Smiley Morning Show” crew. With no real word on why she was being shown the door, the questions began to mount:
What was happening on there with Smiley?
And why was he losing yet another team member?
Was there drama between the two?
Those questions were left largely unanswered with only the standard “we remain friends and we wish her well” types of sound bites being offered as the only official statements on behalf of Smiley. It wasn’t until one of our own writers broke a story citing anonymous sources who claim that the real reason for the split was Smiley’s discomfort working with women — specifically those that are funnier than him. This prompted Smiley to request a meeting with rolling out to offer his side of the story. In this candid interview, Smiley goes out of his way to debunk the notion that jealousy was the motive behind the dismissal.
On the the persistent rumors when there is change on his team …
“The rumors don’t bother me, because it’s just speculation. I know the truth. And if I went on the Internet to try to respond to every single rumor, I would go absolutely crazy and out of my mind. Every singer, rapper, comedian and actor has people who have an opinion about them. Not everybody is going to think highly of you.”
On the real reason that Claudia Jordan is no longer with the show …
“Claudia is a friend of mine. We’ve been knowing each other for 15 years. She came to do the morning show, and the company signed her to a one-year contract. Claudia did not leave ‘The Rickey Smiley Morning Show’ a day before her one-year contract was over. I don’t own the radio station. I own ‘The Rickey Smiley Morning Show,’ but I have people that I have to answer to that own these radio stations … so we have to deal with general managers, program directors, and the owners. When people collectively decide that they want to go in another direction, and they say, ‘it would probably be in your [best] interest because here is some research and some numbers,’ we have to continue to give the listeners what they want, and when they put out research that shows what the listeners think about the show, then we have to listen. But I want to thank Claudia for her contribution to the show. I think she gave us her best every single morning. She was very nice, and very pleasant to be in the room with, and we wish her the best. It was nothing personal.”
To see the interview in its entirety, click here.
