Serena Williams’ surprise appearance during Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl 2025 halftime show at the Caesars Superdome has ignited a firestorm of reactions. From tennis stars like Coco Gauff, Novak Djoković, Carlos Alcaraz, and even her sister Venus showering her with praise for the “magical moment,” to comments like Brooklyn Decker’s “She danced on his (Drake’s) grave,” the internet is buzzing. And then there are those, like sports commentator Stephen A. Smith, who are taking a more critical stance, even directing jabs at Williams and her husband, Alexis Ohanian.
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Serena Williams’ choice of dance music at the Super Bowl—Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us”—a diss track aimed at Drake, brought the ongoing Lamar-Drake feud back into the spotlight. Interestingly, the song in which Serena Williams did the crip walk has a lyric, “better not speak up on Serena.“
The rumored relationship between Serena and Drake has been the subject of much speculation and controversy in the past. Remember Serena’s playful jab at Drake during the 2024 ESPY Awards? She said, “And if I’ve learned anything this year, not a single one of us, not even me, should ever pick a fight with Kendrick Lamar.”
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During a recent episode of ESPN’ First Take, Stephen A. Smith seemingly didn’t hold back. Making a reference to the rumors which claimed Serena Williams and Drake dated each other in 2011 (neither of them ever confirmed it), he added, “If I’m married and my wife is going to join trolling her ex, go back to his a–. ‘Cause clearly you don’t belong with me. What you worried about him for and you’re with me? Bye. Bye.”
However, after hearing this, his co-host Ryan Clark said, “If you were with Serena Williams, you’re going to be a kept man anyway. Don’t start that.”
Stephen A. Smith on Serena Williams’ cameo during the Super Bowl halftime show: “If I’m married and my wife is going to join trolling her ex, go back to his ass. ‘Cause clearly you don’t belong with me. What you worried about him for and you’re with me? Bye. Bye.” pic.twitter.com/uiYI2ltK4k
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 10, 2025
When was the last time we saw Serena Williams doing a crip walk? Well, shortly after clinching a gold medal at the singles event of the 2012 London Olympics. At the time, she faced an onslaught of criticism. What did her husband, Alexis Ohanian, say about all such criticism, though?
Serena Williams’ husband, Alexis Ohanian took everyone down the memory lane
After offering a few words on Serena Williams’ show-stopping Super Bowl moment, Ohanian shared an excerpt from an article quoting renowned journalist Jason Whitlock, who heavily criticized Serena Williams for dancing on one of the biggest stages in the sporting world.
Interesting Fact: The Crip Walk, also known as the C-Walk, is a dance move that originated in the 1970s with Robert “Sugar Bear” Jackson, a founding member of the Crips. It’s characterized by fast, complex footwork and has become a global phenomenon.
Whitlock said that Serena’s performance “was akin to cracking a tasteless X-rated joke inside a church.” Alexis Ohanian captioned that post, “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.”
The father of two had also attached a video clip of Samuel L. Jackson scolding Kendrick Lamar and his dances by saying, “Too loud, too reckless — too ghetto! Mr. Lamar, do you really know how to play the game? Then tighten up!”
How interesting is it to see that Serena Williams still managing to make the headlines even after almost three years of her retirement, isn’t it?
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Edited by
Deepanshi Bajaj