Kendrick Lamar’s halftime show at Super Bowl LIX created quite a buzz, especially with the unexpected appearance of Serena Williams. Many speculated that her cameo was a dig at Drake, who once dated the tennis superstar. However, Serena is setting the record straight, emphasizing that there was no malice behind her dance moves.
In response to critics suggesting her appearance was petty, Serena’s husband, Alexis Ohanian, came to her defense last week. He pointed out that Serena faced harsh criticism for her dance at Wimbledon years ago, stating, "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.”
Serena jumped into the conversation over the weekend, reassuring fans that her intentions were purely positive. She tweeted, “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.” She added, “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.”
In a lighthearted twist, she acknowledged the Wimbledon incident in her Instagram stories, joking, “Man I did not Crip walk like that at Wimbledon. I woulda been FINEDDDD! It was all love.” She later elaborated on how the opportunity came about, recalling Kendrick’s team reaching out to her. “When @kendricklamar and team called and was like ‘we’ve been trying to do something forever, what about this? We loved your Crip walk at the Olympics after you won the gold medal,’ I’m like Super Bowl? Are you serious?”
As for Drake, he seemed to throw shade at Serena’s performance, sharing a photo on his burner account with her longtime agent, Jill Smoller, taken during a past Wimbledon event. Fans have mixed feelings about his reaction, but Serena appears unfazed by any negativity, focusing instead on celebrating the experience and the love she received from Kendrick and his team.
In the end, Serena Williams wants everyone to know that her dance at the Super Bowl was all in good fun and not a personal jab at anyone. With her impressive track record in tennis and beyond, she’s certainly proven that she’s too busy for drama!