"This is hella corny" - LeBron James' ex-teammate calls out Cam Newton for "clickbait" interview involving Royce Reed and Dwight Howard

Eight-time NBA All-Star Dwight Howard's ex-girlfriend, Royce Reed, fueled speculation about his sexuality during an interview with 2015 NFL MVP Cam Newton. Afterward, former NBA sharpshooter J.R. Smith called out Newton for seemingly attempting to stir up drama involving a fellow Black athlete.

Howard and Reed, who share a 17-year-old son named Braylon Howard, have long had a rocky co-parenting relationship. The dancer and television personality has publicly taken several shots at Howard, including questioning his financial support.

Reed continued leveling accusations against the ex-Orlando Magic superstar during a Friday appearance on "Funky Friday with Cam Newton." In the episode titled, "They Silenced Me for YEARS! Dwight Howard's Hidden Life EXPOSED by Royce Reed," Reed spoke in depth about Howard's sexual orientation.

Reed alleged that Howard frequently engaged in sexual relations with men under the influence of psychedelic mushrooms at parties during the COVID-19 quarantine.

"Have you ever witnessed him being with another man in the bedroom?" Newton asked Reed (timestamp: 1:29:05).

"Yeah. All the time," Reed said. "They took mushrooms together, and then they were in the bed moaning and touching themselves, but they say that's an effect of taking mushrooms."

Reed's comments came after she made claims about Howard being verbally, mentally and physically abusive, and attempting to "silence" her.

Smith, who won the 2020 NBA title alongside Howard on the LeBron James-led LA Lakers, seemingly wasn't a fan of the podcast. On Monday, he took to Instagram to criticize Newton for giving Reed a platform to take aim at Howard.

"Respectfully, this is hella corny, @cam, bringing on a Black woman to kill a Black man is never cool," Smith wrote. "(I) don't care who's right or wrong. All clickbait ain't good clickbait. This ain't love."

Newton promptly fired back, appearing to challenge Smith to confront him in person.

"Call it what you want. Respectfully, I don't go back and forth in no comments (section). I ain't hard to find, sir," Newton wrote.

Howard's sexual preferences have been a hot topic of discussion off and on since 2018 when he was accused of having a relationship with a man named Masin Elije. Howard defended himself at the time, noting that he was "not gay."

In 2023, he overcame Elije's 2019 allegations of "assault" and "intentional infliction of emotional distress" after they were dismissed.

Moreover, in July 2023, another man named Stephen Harper filed a sexual assault lawsuit against Howard before dropping the charges in August. During the ordeal, the NBA icon maintained in a court filing that he and Harper engaged in "consensual sexual activity."

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Dwight Howard pledges to drop "positive" diss track with wife Amy Luciani following Royce Reed's interview with Cam Newton

In the aftermath of Royce Reed's interview with Cam Newton, Dwight Howard hit the recording booth with his wife, rapper Amy Luciani.

In a Monday Instagram post, the three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year vowed to release a "positive" diss track, seemingly in response to Reed's allegations.

"About to drop the first positive diss song ever," Howard wrote. "YUP, me and my wife @amylucianiworld (are) about to inspire all of our enemies."

It's unclear if Howard was serious. Nevertheless, he has continually underscored his satisfaction with Luciani amid Reed's commentary surrounding their past.

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