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Former Ohio State assistant Zach Smith responds to text messages with ex-wife posted by Brett McMurphy
By Andrew Olson
Published:
Former Ohio State assistant Zach Smith broke his media silence Friday giving interviews to 105.7 The Zone FOX Sports Radio Columbus and ESPN.
In the radio interview, Smith said he never abused his ex-wife, Courtney Smith. Reporter Brett McMurphy, who published last week’s bombshell report that led to Urban Meyer being placed on admministrative leave, took issue with Zach Smith’s claim. McMurphy posted a screen capture of a text message exchange he says is between Zach and Courtney Smith. In the photo, the blue bubbles are Courtney Smith’s with the white bubbles showing what Zach Smith said. In the exchange, Courtney Smith says Zach Smith strangled her during the couple’s trip to Punta Cana in March 2015 and again in April. In the message, Zach Smith apologizes, but does not appear to deny doing it.
Now that the message is on Twitter, Zach Smith has told ESPN’s Dan Murphy that he cannot recall any altercation between he and his wife in Punta Cana. He also told Murphy he questions the credibility of the image of the text message exchange.
Zach and Courtney Smith divorced in 2016. A May 2018 trespassing complaint in which police were called was reported in July 2018, resulting in Smith’s firing from Ohio State prior to Big Ten Media Days.
Asked Zach Smith about this just now. He said he does not recall any altercation between him and Courtney Smith in Punta Cana. He said he had not seen the published image of the text but did not believe it was credible. https://t.co/re4cdsUpYO
— Dan Murphy (@DanMurphyESPN) August 4, 2018
A former Florida beat reporter, Andrew writes for the Saturday Tradition News Desk.