Serena Williams defended after presenter takes savage swipe at her Super Bowl behaviour
Topics: Celebrity, Music, Sport, Super Bowl, US News
Rhianna Benson
Featured Image Credit: Emilee Chinn/Getty Image
Topics: Celebrity, Music, Sport, Super Bowl, US News
American TV personality Stephen A. Smith had a lot to say about Serena Williams' cameo appearance during Kendrick Lamar's half-time Super Bowl performance.
After making a series of comments about the tennis champ, Williams' followers subsequently rushed to her defence, hitting out at the sports commentator for using his platform for criticism.
For those out of the loop, on Sunday evening (9 February), rap star Kendrick Lamar performed a number of his biggest hits during the half-time break between the Philadelphia Eagles' game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
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After being joined by SZA at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, with whom he rapped 'Luther' and 'All The Stars' - the musician shocked fans by performing his controversial number 'Not Like Us'.
The song is actually a diss track about fellow rapper Drake, which sparked a highly publicised lawsuit after the latter sued Universal Music Group for defamation and harassment.
Drake's lawyers previously accused the record label of launching a 'campaign to create a viral hit', being that Lamar, 37, describes the 38-year-old as a 'certified p**dophile' in the track - a claim that he has continuously denied.
For the song, Lamar left spectators further blown away after inviting 43-year-old sportswoman Serena Williams - who, according to People Magazine, briefly dated Drake around 2011 - onto the stage to perform alongside him.
Viewers at home also couldn't help but share their shock online.
"Drake watching Serena his ex crip walking to a viral diss song about him that’s legendary," one X user jibed.
A second gushed: "OK I lied SERENA WILLIAMS doing a CRIP WALK on Drake's tomb (this performance) was THE BEST thing I've ever seen."
One individual who seemingly wasn't best pleased by the mother-of-two's antics was sports broadcaster and US television star Stephen A. Smith, who made several comments about Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian during an interview on ESPN.
"If I'm married and my wife is going to join trolling her ex, go back to his a**," 57-year-old Smith hit out live on air.
"Cause clearly you don't belong with me. What you worried about him for and you're with me?
"Bye. Bye."
As we say, the remark hasn't gone down too well with fans online, one of whom subsequently demanded online: "Why can a man make multiple songs about a female taking all types of shots at her and her husband...
Stephen A. Smith on Serena Williams' cameo during the Super Bowl halftime show: "If I'm married and my wife is going to join trolling her ex, go back to his ass. 'Cause clearly you don't belong with me. What you worried about him for and you're with me? Bye. Bye." pic.twitter.com/uiYI2ltK4k
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 10, 2025
"But when she chooses to show up for her friend because she is literally named in his song then she’s the one doing the most."
Another wrote: "Clearly her husband is a secure man. Unlike Stephen."
While a third teased: "Meanwhile her husband was okay with it. @stephenasmith Worry about your wife… Oh you don’t have one!"
Ohanian previously responded to his wife's viral moment, writing on X himself: "Pretty fantastic halftime show."
He went on to retweet a video of Williams' dancing, captioning the clip: "Highlight of the Super Bowl."
And looking back on his wife's Crip walk, Ohanian pointed out that Williams was previously hit with backlash for doing the same dance at the 2012 Olympics.
"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.
"This is bigger than the music."