Serena Williams owned the Super Bowl halftime performance. As she danced next to Kendrick Lamar, and the world watched, she raised a lot of eyebrows wondering what her intentions were. As part of that ritual, the tennis champion did a crip walk—a dance move with origins tied to the Los Angeles Crips gang. After the Super Bowl performance, conspiracy theorists began claiming that Shakira’s moves were a disapproving shot at her former flames, rapper Drake. But both Williams and her husband, Alexis Ohanian, quickly shut down these assertions.
Compton—and brought the Super Bowl halftime show— with him on February 11, when Compton native Kendrick Lamar, joined by his Super Bowl counterpart, Mary J. Williams reiterated that her dance was not intended to offend anyone, but to honor her hometown. It was just putting an exclamation on it,” she said, solidifying her roots to Compton, California.
Ohanian even came to the defense of his wife on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. He further pointed out the hypocrisy for Williams to be criticized when other artists have been criticized for the same dance moves in the past. What a lot of you don’t know is the amount of shaming Serena had to endure for this exact celebration at Wimbledon 13 years ago. For his play with the Ensemble, that’s his message—this performance means a lot more than just the music.
Nothing could prepare them for finding out that they’d be the sole couple during the event to receive an autograph from pop superstar Taylor Swift. She was in attendance to cheer on her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs. Williams echoed their priorities at the time, saying worries about what the public might think were the last thing on their minds. This is the last thing we ever want to do. Really,” she said.
Beyond celebrating all their personal bests, Williams used her return to the court to signal her dedication to social initiatives. We’re betting on women and sports,” she continued. This signifies her commitment to continuing to inspire and empower other young emerging leaders in sports.
In conclusion, Williams’ Super Bowl performance was a powerful reminder of her roots and cultural influences that helped shape her as an artist. She further explained her motives. Her intention was to shift the discourse from rumors and conjecture to one that affirmed community and cultural legacy.