IIt was a short but successful cameo. For less than five seconds in the last moments of the half-time show of the Super Bowl 2025, while the headliner Kendrick Lamar interpreted his Drake Drake Track “Not Like Us”, the camera overturned At the corner of the scene to show 43 years of 43 years -old tennis of all the Grande -Grande Williams Crip Walking.
The appearance of Williams was remarkable for several reasons: like Lamar, she grew up in Compton, the city of California known for its importance for the history of hip-hop. Also like Lamar, Williams is not the biggest fan of Drake, to say it slightly. The two would have dated years ago, Drake referring to Williams in his 2013 song “Pire Behavior” and again in his 2022 song “Middle of the Ocean”, in which he turned his husband from now Alexis Ohanian as “groupie.”
Lamar even mentions Williams in the words of “Not Like Us”, apparently telling Drake that he “better not talking about Serena”.
While organizing the Espy Awards of last year, Williams teased: “If I learned something this year, it is that none of us, not one of us, not even me, should Never fight with Kendrick Lamar “, before dancing” not like us. ” “It will make your hometown not love you. The next time Drake was sitting alongside the court in a raptors match, they go to Forrest. Seats taken.
Williams also has a personal link with the specific dance that she has accomplished on the stage of the Super Bowl. He recalled his celebration at the Wimbledon Court in London after defeating Maria Sharapova to secure the gold medal at the 2012 Olympic Games. At the time, she faced a criticism attack for what the commentators described as coarse and inappropriate. “What Serena did was similar to an insipid joke and listed in a church,” said Jason Whitlock of Fox Sports. Others, like Los Angeles Times Sports columnist Bill Plaschke suggested that the glamorous dance of gangs of violence. “It was just a dance,” replied Williams, whose older sister Yetunde Price was killed by a member of the Gang Southside Crips in 2003, interviewed in 2012.
More than 12 years later, however, she still remembers the reaction, which, according to the defenders, was exaggerated and racist: “Dude, I did not walk like that in Wimbledon. Ooh, I would have been sentenced to a fine, “joked Williams on social networks on Sunday evening.
Williams Super Bowl’s part-time show quickly took the internet.
“Serena ate it” The 20 -year -old tennis star, Coco Gauff, published on X. “You did that !!!” Said Venus Williams. The official accounts of the American Olympic team and the American open tennis championships also gave Williams applause.
“For those of all of you who were not outside, the media torn Serena in tatters for crip walking in Wimbledon,” wrote a user on X. “His return to make a dance that refers to a culture of which it is really part, during a live performance criticizing someone to be a vulture of the culture is * the chief’s kiss.
Lamar also won praise for including Williams: “Kendrick showing up Serena Williams to Crip Walk after Drake tracked this woman publicly for years and threw him obsessive X user commented.
While others seemed almost sorry for Drake: “Serena Williams Crip walking towards a song on you being a pedophile must harm existentially,” wrote one user X. says another: “If my ex girlfriend was TV on television walking towards a song by calling me a pedophile at the Super Bowl, my feelings would be injured to say the least. “
