Serena Williams has explained why she performed the Crip Walk during Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl LIX halftime show, shutting down fan theories about its meaning.
The tennis legend made a surprise appearance during Lamar’s performance of Not Like Us, a moment that quickly went viral. Many speculated that her dance was a subtle dig into Lamar’s ongoing rivalry with rapper Drake. Others believed it was a tribute to their shared hometown of Compton.
However, Williams says the reason was simple—Lamar personally invited her.
“When @kendricklamar and team called and was like, ‘We’ve been trying to do something forever, what about this? We loved your Crip Walk at the Olympics after you won the gold medal,’” she shared on Instagram.
Williams, 43, did not hesitate. “I’m like, Super Bowl? Are you serious? When in the world would I ever be able to dance at a Super Bowl? (Never) Let’s do it!” she said. “I knew my winning dance after the @olympics would pay off one day.”
The moment thrilled many fans but also sparked mixed reactions.
This isn’t the first time Williams has received criticism for the Crip Walk. In 2012, she did the dance after winning a gold medal at the London Olympics, which led to backlash. She performed it again at Wimbledon in 2023 but joked that she toned it down to avoid fines.
Despite the chatter surrounding her Super Bowl moment, Williams remains unfazed. She shared behind-the-scenes footage of her game-day prep and called the experience “the best 10 seconds of my life.”
Her husband, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, also weighed in. He pointed out that people failed to recognise the history behind the moment and the criticism Williams endured for the same dance years ago.
“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 on X.
Williams’ Super Bowl cameo may have stirred conversation, but for her, it was just another unforgettable moment in her legendary career.
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