Serena Williams’ field choreographyduring Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show in New Orleans on Sunday have caused some backlash.
During a Tuesday segment of ESPN’s “First Take” podcast, TV personality Stephen A. Smith and fellow commentator Shannon Sharpe both expressed their discomfort with the moment. Their unease was rooted in rumors about an alleged past romantic connection between Williams and rapper Drake. They both agreed that a wife shouldn’t engage in “trolling” her ex, referencing her brief appearance during Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” a diss track aimed at Drake.
Former NFL player Ryan Clark, a guest on the show, pointed out that Williams’ performance went beyond a petty rivalry.
“She’s from Compton,” Clark reminded Smith and Sharpe.
Like Lamar, the 23-time Grand Slam title holder hails from the neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, and her “Crip Walk” performance was an homage to the area’s cultural history in the 1970s.
The two commentators, who are both unmarried, didn’t seem to miss the cultural reference but maintained their original stance.
“We know that,” Smith replied to Clark.
“Even if she’s not from Compton, everybody knows her and Drake were together at one time,” Sharpe said, adding that the performance was an attempt to “get their lick back on Drake.”
“If I’m married, and my wife is going to join trolling her ex, go back to his ass,” Smith said, doubling down on his position.
Clark quickly clapped back and humbled Smith, saying he would be a “kept man” if he dated Williams, presumably referring to their respective net worth.
Williams’ husband, tech entrepreneur Alexis Ohanian, didn’t share the same views. On X, formerly Twitter, he praised the halftime show as “pretty fantastic,” and pointed out that Williams faced similar backlash after doing the Crip Walk at Wimbledon in 2012.
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“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,” he wrote.