Serena Williams stepped onto the Super Bowl halftime stage Sunday night, dancing alongside Kendrick Lamar in a moment that quickly turned into a debate.
The tennis legend’s brief appearance saw her performing the Crip Walk during Lamar’s performance of “Not Like Us,” a diss track that has intensified the feud between Lamar and Drake — Williams’ former flame.
The moment didn’t sit well with some onlookers, including ESPN’s Stephen A Smith and Fox Sports columnist Jason Whitlock, who compared her dance to “cracking a tasteless, X-rated joke inside a church.”
Whitlock insisted she “deserved to be criticized and she should’ve immediately apologized.” Williams’ husband, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, wasted no time coming to her defense.
Taking to X on Monday, he shared a screenshot of Whitlock’s remarks alongside a pointed response.
“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.”
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. pic.twitter.com/Xq4O96Yg0s
— Alexis Ohanian 🗽 (@alexisohanian) February 11, 2025
The reference harkens back to Williams’ 2012 Olympic victory celebration at Wimbledon, where her use of the dance move also attracted backlash. This time around, the criticism extended beyond just the dance.
Some questioned the optics of Serena Williams appearing in a performance tied to Lamar’s ongoing beef with Drake, her rumored ex. Smith was particularly vocal.
“If I’m married and my wife is going to join trolling her ex, go back to his a*s,” he said on First Take Monday. “Cause clearly you don’t belong with me. What you worried about him for and you’re with me? Bye. Bye.”
Despite the uproar, Williams appeared unbothered in the aftermath.
In a social media video, she jokingly dismissed comparisons between her Super Bowl performance and the 2012 controversy.
“Man I did not Crip Walk like that at Wimbledon, I would’ve been fined!” she said, laughing.
She also shared behind-the-scenes glimpses from rehearsals, posting photos and clips from her time onstage. Reflecting on the high-energy moment, she told her followers, “I died a little.”
A little behind the scenes pic.twitter.com/PGOQYZnBEW
— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) February 10, 2025