Alexis Ohanian Says Wife Serena Williams’ Super Bowl Dance Is ‘Bigger Than the Music’ as Critics Miss the Point
We expected a dramatic performance by Kenrick Lamar at Super Bowl LIX. We certainly expected to see boundaries pushed and special guests unveiled. But we did not expect to catch Serena Williams crip walking for all to see. In the few seconds that the cameras caught the tennis icon dancing to “Not Like Us,” eagle-eyed viewers paused to take in the moment, which has become quite controversial since airing on Sunday night.
Kendrick Lamar’s performance was packed with symbolism. From the red, white, and blue dance formations to brief flashes of words shining from the Caesars Superdome seats, the 37-year-old rapper did not skimp on cultural and political statements. It was lost on no one that Donald Trump was watching from box seats. Of course, Lamar doesn’t shy away from controversy. He took the opportunity, especially since the NFL gave him free rein to create the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show, reports Wired.
Samuel L. Jackson introduced Lamar’s performance at New Orleans’ Caesars Superdome. SZA belted out her parts in “luther” and “All the Stars.” Rapper Mustard joined Lamar for a brief cameo. But Serena Williams might’ve been the biggest surprise. The 43-year-old donned a cobalt blue cropped top and matching pleated skirt reminiscent of her tennis days. She wore sky-blue high-tops from the forthcoming A Ma Maniére x Converse Chuck 70 collaboration, hand-dyed for her performance. And she proceeded to furiously crip walk in the dance made popular by gang members in Compton, California.
The cultural significance of Serena Williams’ dance at Super Bowl LIX
The dance alone was heavily symbolic. Both Lamar and Williams grew up in Compton. Fans know Lamar shows love and loyalty for his hometown through his outfits, lyrics, and interviews. Williams performed the dance while Lamar rapped “Not Like Us,” which attacked rapper Drake from all angles during their legendary feud that peaked (for now) in 2024. Williams and Drake were first romantically linked in 2015. They never publicly confirmed their relationship, but the Canadian rapper made several not-so-respectful comments about the 23-time Grand Slam champion.
Perhaps the most important thing behind Williams’ crip walk was its cultural identity. The C-walk was originally a coded form of communication among Crips gang members. Now, it’s often associated with Black self-expression, resilience, and creativity. Williams’ husband of seven years certainly understood this. Alexis Ohanian took to Twitter to defend his wife after media pundit Jason Whitlock made a bold statement about Williams’ performance.
Alexis Ohanian defends Serena Williams’ Super Bowl LIX dance
On Monday, February 10, Whitlock said the retired athlete “deserved to be criticized and she should’ve immediately apologized.” The analyst went on to say that Williams’ dance was akin to cracking a tasteless, X-rated joke inside a church.” Ohanian, who’s stood by his wife during many difficult moments, tweeted a screenshot of Whitlock’s statement alongside his own remarks via X.
The Reddit founder stated, “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 was referencing Williams’ disparaged 2012 Olympics celebration. Occurring on Wimbledon grass, she celebrated her win by crip walking on the court.)
His defense also comes after First Take‘s Stephen A. Smith also criticized Williams. As Awful Announcing reports, the sports TV personality stated, “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.”
According to Ohanian’s take, Smith missed the point of Williams’ crip walk entirely. Lamar’s Super Bowl Halftime Show was about Black identity and American ideals during a tumultuous time in American history. We have a feeling we’ll hear more about this controversy from all parties involved.
