Sportscaster Stephen A. Smith has criticized Serena Williams for dancing during Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show performance.
He believes the tennis legend’s performance was disrespectful to her husband, Ohanian, adding that her appearance could even be a subtle jab at her ex-boyfriend, Drake.
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“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 are you worried about him for and you’re with me? Bye. Bye,” Smith stated.
He made the remarks on the February 10 episode of the ESPN First Take show. He was interacting with co-hosts Shannon Sharpe, Ryan Clark, and Molly Qerim.
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Williams was seen dancing and crip-walking on stage during Kendrick Lamar’s performance of his Grammy-winning diss track targeted at Drake, “Not Like Us”.
The award-winning athlete is said to have dated Drake in 2011. The relationship was said to have inspired the rapper’s 2016 song Too Good.
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Other panelists on the show supported Smith’s opinion, but Ryan Clark urged his other colleagues to reconsider their views.
Molly Qerim, on the other hand, noted that though it may seem Serena was trolling her ex-boyfriend, her performance could also be a form of support for Kendrick Lamar since they both hail from the same hometown, Compton.
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Despite the unfriendly views, Serena Williams justified her performance in an Instagram post on February 11. She indicated her excitement about turning up at the big show and also touched on other conversations that led her to the show.
She stated that Kendrick’s team reached out to her, asking if she would recreate the moment she crip-walked on the court after earning a gold medal at the 2012 Olympics.
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“I’m like Super Bowl? Are you serious? When in the world would I ever be able to dance at a superbowl? (Never) let’s do it! I knew my winning dance after the @olympics would pay off one day. End of story,” the mother of two wrote.
Many followers, including her husband, Ohanian, have praised her dance moves, despite the reaction of those who are against her.
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“Pretty fantastic halftime show…Some of y’all have no idea how criticised Serena was for this same dance at Wimbledon 13 years ago and it shows…This is bigger than the music,” her husband was quoted.
