Tennis legend Serena Williams made major headlines in February after her surprise appearance in Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show.
She was in New Orleans for the big game, and so was Taylor Swift.
However, the two would never meet.
Serena Williams has revealed why she intentionally distanced herself from her longtime pal Taylor Swift at the Super Bowl in February.
The tennis legend and her husband, entrepreneur Alexis Ohanian, initially brought their eldest daughter, Olympia, near the pop sensation’s suite to get an autograph.
However, that mission would come to an end as she began to rethink approaching the “Cruel Summer” singer at the match-up.
The 23-time Grand Slam winner told Time Magazine that she felt it was best to give Swift some space, especially after she was subjected to a chorus of boos from Eagles fans.
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“I’m such a mom,” Williams told the outlet. “I was ready to go in here myself and be like, ‘Taylor, come get this girl.'”
“It’s hard when your team is losing,” Williams said. “I totally get it.”
“My husband and I, we’re so in a different space. We’re so connected, we’re so in love, we’re just, like, trying to get our daughter Taylor Swift autographs. And nothing else,” she added.
Serena Williams Says She Was Not Dissing Drake
Kendrick Lamar’s performance at the Super Bowl was historical and controversial.
The fact that Williams came out to Crip Walk to one of the rapper’s songs made the moment even more contentious.
Now, she is clearing up any misconceptions about her appearance.
Williams says her crip walk during Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime performance was not directed at Drake.
During the halftime show by Kendrick Lamar, Serena Williams danced on a podium, and crip walked as Lamar was performing “Not Like Us,” his diss track against Drake, where he basically calls him a pedophile.
“Absolutely not,” she said.
“I would never do that. And that was sad that anyone would ever think that. I respect how they could. Obviously, I can see how someone would think that. But absolutely not. I have never had negative feelings towards him. We’ve known him for so many years.”
Her husband, Alexis Ohanian, had also shut down that idea, writing on X on Feb. 10: “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.”
Williams said joining the performance was a way to pay homage to her hometown, Compton, California, where Lamar is also from.
“Who would have thought that a tennis player from Compton would be regarded as one of the best tennis players of all time?” She said in an interview with Time. “It was just putting an exclamation on it.”
“I don’t know if I regret it or not,” she said of her decision to perform. “I don’t know the answer to that.”
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