Stephen Curry attacks treatment of women after former players criticize wife Ayesha's movie kiss

Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry has criticized several ex-professional athletes for questioning his wife Ayesha's decision to appear in a romantic comedy featuring an on-screen kiss, accusing them of diminishing her accomplishments and perpetuating double standards about women.

The four-time NBA champion posted a 90-second video on Instagram on Wednesday in response to comments by former NBA players Gilbert Arenas and Nick Young, as well as former NFL players Emmanuel Acho and LeSean McCoy, following the release of Ayesha Curry's new film, Second Chance Holiday.

The romantic comedy premiered on the Roku Channel on 5 November and features Ayesha in her first leading film role opposite actor Matthew Daddario. A scene in which Ayesha Curry and Daddario kiss prompted criticism from several former athletes, who questioned her participation in the film and discussed its implications for her marriage.

Curry said the commentary had crossed a line by diminishing his wife's professional achievements. He said he had been hearing a lot of noise that usually does not bother him or Ayesha, but that this time it was stepping on his wife's accomplishments and giving opinions on somebody else's wife, naming Young, Arenas and Acho.

Curry said the remarks reflected a broader problem with attitudes toward women and the expectations placed upon them, and he also questioned the former athletes' understanding of acting.

Arenas, a three-time NBA All-Star selection who began his career with Golden State, had described Ayesha as the only blemish on Curry's family life during a recent episode of his podcast. Young, who played alongside Curry on the Warriors' 2018 championship team, also took part in the conversation, and McCoy separately questioned Ayesha's decision to film the romantic scene.

Curry, who has generally avoided publicly engaging with criticism of his family, suggested the ex-players owed his wife an apology. He said he had tried to laugh it off, but something needed to be said.

Curry accompanied the video with photographs of his wife promoting the movie and a message encouraging her to keep shining. His sister, Sydel Curry-Lee, supported the response in the comments, writing that how the world views women was heavily at issue.

Ayesha Curry is an actor, cookbook author and entrepreneur who has appeared in television and film projects for nearly two decades. Her previous credits include an appearance on Disney Channel's Hannah Montana and a supporting role alongside Lindsay Lohan in the 2024 Netflix romantic comedy Irish Wish. Stephen and Ayesha Curry married in 2011 and have four children.