Nationwide — Serena Williams sparked controversy after her appearance in Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl LIX halftime show, where he performed ‘Not Like Us,’ a track widely seen as a diss toward Drake. While some criticized her involvement, her husband, Alexis Ohanian, spoke out in her defense.Williams, 43, surprised many when she danced in the background as Lamar performed during the show in New Orleans. At one point, she even broke into a Crip Walk, sparking online discussions about whether she was trolling Drake, whom she reportedly dated back in 2011.
According to the New York Post, sports analyst Stephen A. Smith criticized the move on ESPN’s First Take, saying, “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.”
Shortly after, Ohanian, 41, shared his thoughts on X, saying, “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 posted it together with a screenshot of a past comment from sports commentator Jason Whitlock, who had harshly criticized her 2012 celebration, calling it inappropriate. He also included a video clip from the halftime show featuring Samuel L. Jackson’s satirical remark about the performance.
Before all of this, Ohanian had already praised the performance, calling it a “Pretty fantastic halftime show” on X.