Serena Williams, 43, is pushing back on speculation that she intended to diss her ex-boyfriend, Drake, during her cameo in the Super Bowl LIX halftime show.
The professional tennis legend joined Drake’s latest music nemesis, Kendrick Lamar, 37, for his mid-game performance inside the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on Feb. 9. Her on-stage moment included her doing the c-walk to Lamar’s “Not Like Us” diss record directed at Drake, 38.
Drake and Williams reportedly started dating in 2011. Four years later, the 23-time WTA major singles champion met her now husband, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, 41.
By working with Lamar for what some viewed as his televised takedown of Drake, some Super Bowl LIX viewers took issue with Williams seemingly trolling her ex in front of a 133 million viewers.
Conservative sports columnist Jason Whitlock was among the fault-finders to denounce Williams for crip walking at the Super Bowl, claiming her actions in New Orleans were “akin to cracking a tasteless, X-rated joke inside a church.”
Ohanian defended his wife against Whitlock and other negative reactions over the mother of two showing off the California-based dance associated with the Crip street gang.
“Some of y’all have no idea how criticized Serena was for this same dance at Wimbledon 13 years ago and it shows… This is bigger than the music,” Ohanian tweeted on Feb. 10.
On Feb. 11, Whitlock quote-tweeted Ohanian and added, “This is Serena’s husband, a true beta. He’s mad at me rather than the wife Crip Walking and still thinking about Drake. Simp.”
Ohanian returned to X to go after Whitlock again on Feb. 11. In a lengthy message, the University of Virginia graduate blasted the Blaze Media personality.
“I get it—you’re 57, and life didn’t turn out the way you imagined. That kind of disappointment must be exhausting. You’re the embodiment of peaked in high school, spending decades chasing validation from strangers through Likes and Digital Hugs, only to find that no amount of external approval fills the void. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone,” Ohanian expressed.
He continued, “Criticism only fuels your victim complex, reinforcing the comforting delusion that there’s some grand conspiracy against you and your ‘brave ideas’—when in reality, you’ve just got terrible takes. It’s a cycle: outrage, backlash, self-pity, repeat.”
Additionally, Ohanian concluded his tweet by posting, “This is a lonely road. There’s still time to rewrite the ending — start by working on yourself first. You’ll find that if you wake up every morning trying to be a little better, a little more curious, you won’t have time for irrational hating — you’ll be too busy winning.”
In 2012, Williams celebrated winning the women’s singles gold medal at the London Summer Olympics by doing the C-walk. Tennis purists complained about her performing the move at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London.
Williams also addressed the scrutiny over her Super Bowl LIX guest appearance on Feb. 17. The four-time Olympic gold medalist replied to Ohanian defending her on the X social media platform.
“That there my baby daddy and husband. Always got my back. I Love you. Gosh, I’m so late to the game (I’ve been sick) & busy investing in billion-dollar companies and running @WYNbeauty,” wrote the serial enterpreneur.
She continued, “Def not dancing to be petty lol. I think I proved 23 times over (not counting 4 gold medals) that I simply don’t have time for petty. All love and respect always nothing negative here.”
Williams followers weighed in on the Compton native’s response to the online fury. One fan tweeted, “You’re so awesome, Serena. I’m so happy you and Alexis found each other!”
A second person on X wrote, “Yes! Also, why do people always find the need to [criticize] instead of support one another? Pick up your crown – you once again showed people that you will continue to be a leader.”
Another supportive post read, “Dance dance dance… You’ve earned it… You deserve it. Show everyone what happiness looks like. Half the country doesn’t know. All they know is hate.”
Williams got some pushback too. One person offered, “No one’s counting your [trophies], accolades, and money. It’s just funny to see you leave your baby daddy [and] husband’s side to go crip walk on your ex for 2.5 [seconds] on national TV. Lmao.”
Whitlock was not the only well-known sports analyst to aim at Williams for her supporting role on Fox’s Super Bowl LIX broadcast.
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith suggested the seven-time Wimbledon winner disrespected Ohanian by supposedly striking back at Drake. Smith then doubled down on his remarks which he later referred to as a joke.
“If I’m married and my wife is going to join trolling her ex, go back to his ass. Because clearly, you don’t belong with me. What you worried about him for and you with me?” Smith stated on the “First Take” morning show.
When a supporter on X praised the tech entrepreneur for being a “petty prince” and called Smith a “weirdo,” Ohanian responded, “Armenian men: we’re a little extreme when it comes to family.”
Ohanian has a history of clapping back at people who publicly attack him or his family. In 2022, the Brooklyn-born venture capitalist took a sarcastic approach with Drake, who dissed Ohanian in his “Middle of the Ocean”’ song.
The Canadian chart-topper randomly rapped, “Sidebar, Serena, your husband a groupie/ He claim we don’t got a problem but / No, boo, it is like you comin’ for sushi/ We might pop up on ’em at will like Suzuki.”
Ohanian fired back on X, writing, “The reason I stay winning is because I’m relentless about being the absolute best at whatever I do — including being the best groupie for my wife and daughter.”
Williams and Ohanian met in 2017 and got married on Nov. 16, 2017, in New Orleans. The couple have two daughters – Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. (born Sept. 1, 2017) and Adira River Ohanian (born Aug. 22, 2023).
