Ayesha Curry apologizes to Steph for saying athletes weren’t her type, explains she was a “nerdy theater girl” who thought he was out of her league [VIDEO]

The cookbook author and entrepreneur clarifies a long-standing public narrative about her early relationship with the NBA superstar.

Ayesha Curry sat across from her husband Steph on a recent episode of the IMO podcast, hosted by Michelle Obama and her brother Craig Robinson, and did something she said was long overdue: she apologized. For years, a comment she made as a teenager about having a “no athletes” rule has followed her, with some interpreting it as a dismissal of the man she would eventually marry. In the podcast, she explained what she actually meant—and admitted her words came out wrong.

The 3-minute clip, posted to X by @ItsKingSlime on March 25, 2026, has since garnered over 3.5 million views. In it, Ayesha addresses the comment directly, calling it “very disrespectful on my part” and clarifying that her hesitation had nothing to do with Steph and everything to do with her own insecurities as a 14-year-old “theater nerd” who assumed a “cool jock” like him would never be interested in someone like her.

Steph, seated beside her with a mug in hand, listened as she walked through the confusion that shaped their early interactions. By the end of the exchange, both were laughing, with Steph visibly moved by her words.

The Teenage List That Came Back to Haunt Her

The origin of the comment dates back to Ayesha’s teenage years, when she was a self-described theater kid navigating adolescence in Charlotte, North Carolina. In a classroom exercise, her teacher asked students to list qualities they wanted in a future partner. Ayesha wrote “NO ATHLETES” in capital letters—a declaration she said was rooted in movie-style stereotypes rather than real experience.

Her parents found the paper years later and laughed about it. But when Ayesha repeated the story in a 2016 interview, it took on a life of its own. The shorthand became that she had ruled out athletes entirely, and some assumed that meant Steph—then a rising NBA star—was somehow an exception to her own rule.

In the podcast, Ayesha explained the gap between the public narrative and what was actually going on in her head. The rule, she said, was about protecting herself from rejection. It was never about him not being her type. She assumed he was out of her league.

Why a Theater Nerd Assumed a Cool Jock Wouldn’t Look Her Way

The clip captures Ayesha walking through the thought process she had as a 14-year-old when Steph first entered her orbit. She noticed him. She thought he was cute. But the idea that a “cool jock” like him would be interested in a “nerdy theater girl” like herself did not compute.

“People for some reason think that I’ve said he wasn’t my type,” she said. “What I was saying was I didn’t think his type [was me].” She assumed their early interactions were platonic. When he showed up at her house repeatedly, she convinced herself it was friendly. When he texted and called, she still did not believe he was interested.

Steph, listening beside her, nodded along. The conversation, which could have been tense, remained light. At one point, Craig Robinson chimed in to tease the couple about the dynamic, and the room laughed. But beneath the humor was a genuine moment of clarity about how adolescent insecurity can cloud what is right in front of you.

Fifteen Years Later, an Apology She Owed Him

Ayesha and Steph have been together for more than 15 years, married since 2011. They have three children. They have weathered NBA championships, public scrutiny, and the pressures of building careers while raising a family. The “no athletes” comment, in the grand scheme of their relationship, is a small footnote. But Ayesha said she wanted to address it because it never sat right with her.

Calling the remark “disrespectful,” she framed the apology as something she owed him. She did not blame the internet or claim her words were taken out of context. She acknowledged that her teenage self, however well-intentioned, had created a story that did not reflect how she actually felt.

The apology was not delivered with tears or drama. Instead, it unfolded as a conversation between two people who know each other well enough to laugh at the misunderstandings that came before they knew what they were building together. When Ayesha finished, Steph smiled. The exchange moved on. But the clarification had been made.

Why Some Fans Aren’t Buying the Clarification

X users responded to the clip with reactions that mirrored the public’s long-standing fascination with the couple. Supporters praised Ayesha for owning the comment and clarifying it in front of an audience. “Make yall jokes but most women wouldn’t have owned their shit,” one user wrote with over 500 likes. Another added, “This is actually so real. sometimes you downplay what you like because you don’t think you even have a chance.”

Others focused on Steph’s visible enjoyment of the exchange. “He love it there! Head thrown back. All teeth showing,” one user posted. A smaller group described the moment as a testament to their marriage: “True love,” one comment read.

But not everyone was convinced. Critics questioned the timing, suggesting the apology was a response to online chatter rather than a spontaneous reflection. “Apology NOT accepted. She only did that because the internet was giving her shit,” one user wrote. Another added, “She meant the initial statement she made. All this apology is just dancing to the gallery.”

A subset of replies connected the moment to Ayesha’s past public statements, including a 2020 Red Table Talk appearance where she discussed feeling overlooked. “Another ritual humiliation,” one user posted, while another compared her to other celebrity spouses perceived as publicly undermining their partners. A few defended Ayesha outright, arguing she had said nothing wrong in the first place. “She didn’t actually say anything wrong the first time,” one comment read.

The Moment Steph Knew She Was Wrong About Athletes

Beyond the apology, the IMO episode offered a rare window into the Currys’ early relationship. The two met as teenagers in Charlotte, when Steph’s father, Dell Curry, played for the Hornets. They attended church together, ran in overlapping circles, but did not immediately connect romantically.

Ayesha described their early interactions as friendly but charged with the awkwardness of young people unsure of each other’s intentions. Steph, for his part, recalled being persistent—showing up, calling, making his interest known without pushing too hard. The dynamic, as they described it, was a slow build.

The podcast moment clarified what the public had pieced together from interviews over the years: Ayesha was not rejecting Steph when she said athletes were not her type. She was protecting herself from the possibility that someone like him would never see someone like her. The distinction, in her telling, mattered. And Steph, after years of hearing the story retold, finally got to hear her explain it the way she always wished she had.

Conclusion: A Small Correction After Years of Misunderstanding

Ayesha Curry’s apology to Steph was not a dramatic reconciliation. There was no rift to heal, no crisis to avert. Instead, it was a quiet correction to a story that had been told about her for years—a chance to replace a teenage declaration with the nuance that comes with adulthood.

The “no athletes” comment was never about him. It was about a 14-year-old girl who did not yet know how to believe she deserved someone she admired. The podcast gave her a chance to say that clearly, with her husband beside her, nodding along.

Whether the apology lands with those who have followed the couple for years depends on what they came to the conversation expecting. But for Ayesha, the goal was simpler: to tell the story the way she always wished she had. The internet will continue to debate. The marriage, 15 years in, will continue as it has—built on something deeper than a list written in a classroom decades ago.