Whatever Monta Ellis did, Erika Ross Smith’s just opened herself up to a World of bad media. The problem with what seems to be a flurry of sexual harassment claims and charges in the New Media Age is they are starting to make the accusers look really bad. Such is the case with Erika Ross Smith and her claim this morning that Golden State Warriors Guard Monta Ellis sent her lewd and “unwanted texts that included a photo of his genitals” according to Yahoo! Sports.
In her lawsuit, which also names the team, Erika Ross Smith alleges Ellis began sending her explicit messages several times a day starting in November 2010 while she worked in the team’s community relations department.The messages included lines such as, “I want to be with you,” and “Hey Sexy,” and proposed sexual encounters, according to the lawsuit.
Who’s Erika Ross Smith?
According to her Linkedin profile (dated December 5, 2011) that she tried to have taken down, Erika Ross Smith was with the Golden State Warriors for four years and four months, going back to September of 2007. She marked her employment status as “present” even though she told the media she was terminated in 2010.
Before the Warriors, she worked for KPMG Advisory as a “Washington National Tax” for three years. And before that she was with the NBA Washington Wizards as Assistant Director of Public Relations for four years and five months. And before her time with the Wizards, Erika was with the Phoenix Suns and the Phoenix Mercury.
Here’s her profile when she was with the Washington Wizards:
Erika Smith enters her fourth season with the Washington Wizards as the assistant director of public relations. Smith is involved in all aspects of public relations, including writing press releases, arrang- ing interviews with players, coaches and front office personnel, com- posing and editing team publications including the media guide and game program, team travel, and overseeing the intern staff. Prior to the Wizards, Smith served as the basketball communications coordinator for the Phoenix Suns for two seasons. Before that, she was the communications assistant for the WNBA Phoenix Mercury for one season. She began her career with an internship, at Virginia Commonwealth University and with the Golden State Warriors, both in the media relations departments. Smith, a native Washingtonian, is a graduate of Xavier University of Louisiana with a degree in com- munications.
Smith started her career as an intern, a Media Relations Assistant with, yes, the Golden State Warriors. for nine months and from August of 1997 to April of 1998.
Smith has a B.A. in Mass Communications from Xavier University of Louisiana, where she attended from 1990 to 1994.
Too Many Questions
The problem with the way this is reported is it leaves out a lot of much needed information. Why was the Linkedin profile blocked? (I found a way around it). How did Monta Ellis come to know Erika Ross Smith? How did Erika Ross Smith give him her phone number? Did they ever have a friendly relationship? Did they date? Is this is response because, if they were dating, Ellis would not leave his wife for Smith? It’s not as easy as filing a lawsuit then waiting for the money to roll in.
Looking at Twitter, this is going the wrong way, fast:
AmerikMasters Armando Vasquez
This girl Erika Ross Smith seems like the crazy one. She was probably stalking monta and tried to flip it when he got married. Doesnt add up
NAAAY22 Nay
Erika Smith tryna hold a black man down.. lol
javachik Nanita
How bad is it that the very FIRST thing I thought about Erika Smith was “thank goodness she didn’t hire Gloria Allred!”
MackLen510 LEN
Erika Smith then fucked it up for all the broads that fuck with ball players sexting will be shut down..lmao. be careful..smh
Smith is seeking damages – read: money – in the lawsuit. She’s suing both Ellis and the Warriors, which means the team terminated her for reasons that could come to light in the court process and not make her look good at all. For her sake, her time with the Warriors had better not be with even a blemish.
Now, for Monta Ellis, if this is true there’s one question, what’s wrong with your lovely wife?
Stay tuned.