Super Bowl LIX was a spectacular show. Philadelphia Eagles won against Kansas City Chiefs 40-22. Serena Williams surprising cameo and Kendrick lamar’s rousing halftime show created a buzz. Whoopi Goldberg is now commenting on the debates surrounding Serena Williams’ moment of fame.
Williams performed the cripwalk while Lamar was performing “Not Like Us” in Caesars Superdome. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith saw it in a different light.
Smith said on First Take, “If I’m married and my wife is going to join trolling her ex…Cause clearly you don’t belong with me. Why are you so worried? Bye.”
Whoopi Goldberg? View, questioned this perspective: “Why wasn’t it, ‘Damn, Serena was great’? Why does she keep thinking about her ex? What’s the only thing you can remember is her ex? I don’t understand. What would make you think that? [about Drake]? “Why would you say she is not intelligent enough?”
SERENA WILMS’ HALF-TIME CAMEO: WHAT IS BEHIND IT? #TheView The co-hosts discuss whether Serena Williams’ halftime performance was a way to retaliate against past criticism or to mock rapper Drake. pic.twitter.com/QOO1lKvatb
— The View (@TheView) February 11, 2025
Williams, who briefly was in a relationship with Drake during the early 2010, has not addressed the controversy. However, her husband, Alexis Ohanian, responded on X, stating, “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.”
Goldberg echoed Ohanian and dispelled the notion that Williams’ performance was about her relationship with Drake. She said, “She had a chance and took it. Instead of saying, ‘Damn, that was kind of great,’ you’re bringing it back to some old stuff. You’re always trying to make the story about someone else.
Some of y’all have no idea how criticized Serena was for this same dance at Wimbledon 13 years ago and it shows…. It’s bigger than music. pic.twitter.com/Xq4O96Yg0s
— Alexis Ohanian 🗽 (@alexisohanian) February 11, 2025
View Sunny Hostin’s co-host said Williams danced in reference to the 2012 Olympic Gold Medal celebration. She stressed that “What she did was” [at the Super Bowl] It was her being authentic, an homage to Compton’s roots. It was Black Excellence and Black Joy.”
Serena Williams clarified the intention behind her Super Bowl LIX appearance on Instagram: “When @kendricklamar and team called and was like ‘we’ve been trying to do something forever, what about this? After you won gold at the Olympics, we loved your crip-walk. I was like Super Bowl. You’re serious? What in the hell would it take for me to be able t dance at a super bowl? (Never) let’s do it!”
She said, “I always knew the winning dance from the @olympics was going to pay off someday.” The story is over.”
Serena Williams married Alexis Ohanian in New Orleans, Louisiana in 2017. They have two daughters: Olympia and Adira. Serena Williams’ Super Bowl LIX performance controversy highlights how public perception can be complex and why it is important to celebrate individual accomplishments without unnecessary speculation.