What happened to Malika Andrews and Stephen A. Smith? Latest on 'threatening' events leading to NBA Today anchor filing restraining order

Malika Andrews has been dealing with some frightening stuff in recent months. The popular ESPN anchor has been forced to obtain a temporary restraining order after being forced to fear for her safety on numerous occasions. According to a report by TMZ, a male named Ahmed Abubakar has been terrorizing Andrews for over a year, with Stephen A. Smith and Molly Qerim also being subjected to harassment.

Abubakar, 41, hails from the New Jersey area and somehow obtained Malika Andrews' personal phone number over the summer months, leading to multiple disturbing calls. Furthermore, he allegedly arrived at Qerim's unannounced, in a string of worrying encounters.

"Andrews claims in court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, that Ahmed Abubakar, a 41-year-old New Jersey resident, is the guy who has made her and some of her colleagues' lives a living hell for much of the past year," TMZ reported.

TMZ's report also shared some insight into how the situation between Abubakar and Andrews originally began.

"She says Abubakar began messaging her on X in Sept. 2022 ... and while it at first seemed like actions from just an overzealous fan -- it turned into threatening and harassing behavior quickly."

Andrew's request for a temporary restraining order has been granted, and a court date has been set for late October.

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Ahmed Abubakar has been reported to the police by both Molly Qerim and Malika Andrews

This isn't the first time Ahmed Abubakar has been reported to the police. In August 2023, ESPN's Molly Qerim filed a report after he arrived unannounced at her home. That report led to Abubakar's arrest.

However, it would appear that Malika Andrews then began to receive the brunt of Abubakar's attention, leading the ESPN anchor to also file a police report, making it the second time he was reported by an ESPN employee in two months. That is when Andrews applied for the restraining order.

The restraining order will cover Andrews, her fiance, Dave McMenamin, Stephen A. Smith, and Molly Qerim. The ESPN crew will likely be hoping that their ordeal has reached a conclusion following the issuing of the restraining order.

Malika Andrews' career has been on an upward trajectory in recent years. The NBA Today host has been trailblazing a path for female sports reporters throughout her career, becoming the first woman to host the NBA draft in 2022.

As such, Andrews has become a household name around America, which unfortunately makes her a target for online abuse and harassment. However, it would appear that Abubakar took things further than anyone would reasonably expect, which clearly began to affect her, and her colleagues, personal lives.