Serena Williams’ husband, Alexis Ohanian, wasted no time defending her after critics slammed her Super Bowl halftime cameo. The tennis icon sparked debate when she performed the Crip Walk during Kendrick Lamar’s set, a move that drew backlash from pundits and reignited conversations about her past.
Ohanian took to X on Monday, calling out the criticism head-on. Sharing a screenshot of Fox Sports columnist Jason Whitlock’s remarks, he wrote, “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.” He referenced Williams’ 2012 Olympic victory celebration at Wimbledon, where her Crip Walk also made headlines.
The backlash this time wasn’t just about the dance. Williams performed during Lamar’s rendition of “Not Like Us”—a diss track aimed at Drake, her rumored ex—raising questions about whether her presence was meant as a jab. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith didn’t hold back on First Take, saying, “If I’m married and my wife is going to join trolling her ex, go back to his a*s… Bye. Bye.”
Whitlock was just as harsh, comparing her dance to “cracking a tasteless, X-rated joke inside a church” and insisting she “deserved to be criticized and she should’ve immediately apologized.”
Williams, however, brushed off the drama. In a social media video, she joked, “Man I did not Crip Walk like that at Wimbledon, I would’ve been fined!” She also shared behind-the-scenes footage from rehearsals and reflected on the moment, telling fans, “I died a little.”
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