Serena Williams performs during the Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show at Caesars Superdome on February 9, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Roc Nation
Serena Williams is unbothered by the chatter about her surprise Super Bowl LIX halftime show appearance.
“Gosh I’m so late to the game (I’ve been sick) & busy investing in billion dollar companies and running @WYNbeauty … def not dancing to be petty lol,” Williams, 43, wrote via X on Monday, February 17. “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.”
William’s social media post came in reply to a post shared by her husband, Alexis Ohanian, earlier this month.
“Some of y’all have no idea how criticized Serena was for this same dance at Wimbledon 13 years ago and it shows,” he wrote on February 10. “This is bigger than the music.”
Alexis Ohanian is defending wife Serena Williams from critics slamming her surprise cameo in Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show. Ohanian, 41, took to X on Monday, February 10, to share an excerpt from an article quoting media pundit Jason Whitlock, who bashed Williams, 43, for dancing on sports’ biggest stage and said she “deserved […]
On Monday, Williams praised her “baby daddy and husband” for his defense of her Crip Walk.
“Always got my back,” she shared on social media. “I Love you.”
Williams’ X post appeared to be in reference to fans claiming that her halftime show appearance on February 9 was a dig at rumored ex-boyfriend Drake. (Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” was released amid his public feud with Drake and includes a line referencing Williams.)
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… def not dancing to be petty lol. I think I proved 23 times over (not counting 4 gold…
— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) February 17, 2025
Williams reacted to her halftime show dance in a separate social media post after the performance came to an end.
“Man, I did not Crip Walk like that at Wimbledon. Ooh, I would have been fined!” she said. “It was all love.” She captioned the video, “Super Bowl halftime show babyyyyyyyyy.”
Williams made headlines — and drew widespread criticism — in 2012 when she celebrated with a toned-down Crip Walk after winning the “Golden Slam” title. The response to her dance moves back then are reminiscent of the criticisms Williams has been receiving as of late.
Serena Williams shocked the audience when she made a surprise cameo at the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show with Kendrick Lamar. “Let’s go Super Bowl halftime??! I died a little!” Williams, 43, wrote via X on Sunday, February 9, alongside a video of her dancing while rocking her performance outfit, which included a blue pleated […]
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, for example, had a lot of thoughts about Williams’ surprise appearance.
“If I’m married and my wife is going to join trolling her ex, go back to his ass,” the 57-year-old anchor said on February 10. “Cause clearly you don’t belong with me. What you worried about him for and you’re with me? Bye. Bye.”
Smith doubled down on the comment, telling fans it’s “not that serious” in a social media post the following day.
“Please go back and look at exactly what I said,” he wrote via X on February 11. “I was talking overall from a man’s perspective — highlighting what most men would think. I didn’t utter a single disrespectful word about Serena. No issues with folks getting upset of literal serious stuff one’s pissed about. This doesn’t qualify peeps.”
