Steph Curry heard a former NBA star call Ayesha the only ‘blemish’ in his family over a movie kiss, then said the apology can be just as loud

Steph Curry responded Wednesday to critics of his wife, Ayesha Curry, over an on screen kiss in her new movie, saying an apology can be as loud as the headlines. He posted an Instagram video of about 90 seconds in which he named Nick Young, Gilbert Arenas and Emmanuel Acho, two former NBA players and a media personality who had commented on the scene.

The kiss comes from Second Chance Holiday, a romantic comedy directed by Maxwell McGuire that premiered on the Roku Channel on November 5, according to IBTimes. It is Ayesha Curry’s first leading role in a feature film. She plays a dating expert trying to break her curse of being dumped every holiday season, and the kiss comes during a reunion with her high school flame, played by Matthew Daddario.

A clip of the kiss spread across social media, and Ayesha Curry responded on X that it was not even real, telling critics they were annoying. Steph Curry had already praised the project when its trailer appeared, calling her “My Leading Lady” and saying he had seen the work she put in behind the scenes. The criticism, however, continued after the premiere.

Steph Curry told the podcast hosts that an apology can be as loud as their headlines

The criticism then moved to a podcast. On the show We Said What We Said, Nick Young and Gilbert Arenas discussed the kiss on Saturday. Young said he would have a problem with his own spouse doing it, and Arenas reportedly drew comparisons between Ayesha Curry and the wives of other star players, which prompted the response from her husband.

In the Instagram video, Curry suggested that people offer congratulations whenever Ayesha is in a headline, and he said “the apology can be as loud as y’all leading y’all’s shows” with the topic. He also thanked the hosts for the free publicity for the movie, which he noted is streaming on Roku.

Young later apologized, saying he was sorry and that he loves Curry. Arenas, however, said he is sorry if Curry was offended. Young addressed Curry directly in his apology, while Arenas framed his around whether Curry took offense, according to reports of both statements. Both men had taken part in the podcast discussion of the kiss earlier in the week.

Others have also defended Ayesha Curry over the movie, including NBA announcer Eddie A. Johnson, who answered critics on her behalf, and former ESPN host Jemele Hill. Her acting background includes roles in Irish Wish on Netflix and Joy to the World on Hulu, and she was a cookbook author, restaurateur and television host before Second Chance Holiday.

This is not the first time Curry has defended his wife publicly. In September 2025, he responded on Instagram to rapper Killer Mike over a joke about the couple’s marriage, and Killer Mike later apologized publicly. The couple has been married since 2011 and has four children, and Ayesha Curry has often been the subject of online commentary about her interviews.

Arenas had defended Ayesha Curry himself in October 2025, when she faced backlash over an interview in which she said she never had plans on being a wife or mother. He said at the time that he understood what she meant and that he was on her side.

Ayesha Curry has discussed the couple’s early days before, including when she explained why she once told the world that Steph was not her type after years of repeating that version of the story. The movie kiss has now brought another round of attention to the marriage.

Second Chance Holiday is streaming on the Roku Channel, and the Currys have not said whether they will address the criticism further.