Serena Williams says Super Bowl halftime appearance was not meant to shade ex, Drake: 'I would never do that'

Serena Williams has cleared the aerial connected her arguable Super Bowl halftime appearance, revealing successful an interrogation this week that her dancing during Kendrick Lamar’s show was successful nary mode a excavation astatine her ex, Drake. 

Williams, 43, recovered herself astatine the halfway of contention after Super Bowl LIX successful New Orleans aft millions of viewers saw her bash the crip locomotion during Lamar’s show of "Not Like Us," a diss way aimed astatine Lamar’s rival and Williams’ ex, Drake. 

Serena Williams dances during halftime of the NFL Super Bowl LIX shot crippled betwixt the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles ON Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025 successful New Orleans. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Some took contented with the creation itself due to the fact that of its pack affiliations, and others raised questions arsenic to wherefore Williams, who is joined with 2 children, would instrumentality purpose astatine an aged flame.

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During an interrogation with Time magazine, Williams, who was named The 100 Most Influential People of 2025, said her information was successful nary mode meant to propulsion shadiness astatine her ex. 

"Absolutely not," she said during the interview. 

"I would ne'er bash that. And that was sad, that anyone would ever deliberation that. I respect however they could. Obviously, I tin spot however idiosyncratic would deliberation that. But perfectly not. I person ne'er had antagonistic feelings towards him. We’ve known him for truthful galore years."

Serena Williams dances off-stage during halftime of the NFL Super Bowl LIX shot crippled betwixt the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles ON Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025 successful New Orleans. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

SERENA WILLIAMS SPARKS SOCIAL MEDIA MELTDOWN DANCING TO KENDRICK LAMAR'S 'NOT LIKE US' AMID HISTORY WITH DRAKE

Among Williams’ astir notable critics was ESPN property Stephen A. Smith, who said helium would divorcement his woman if she was "trolling her ex." Williams saw the comments, but told Time that helium was entitled to his opinions.               

"I thought it was hilarious," she said. "He’s allowed to person his idiosyncratic opinion. But did you spot my husband’s remark? It was truthful eloquent." 

Williams’ husband, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, defended her successful a station connected societal media, saying, "Some of y'all person nary thought however criticized Serena was for this aforesaid creation at Wimbledon 13 years agone and it shows.... This is bigger than the music." 

Serena Williams dances connected signifier during halftime of the NFL Super Bowl LIX shot crippled betwixt the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles connected Sunday, Feb. 9, 2025 successful New Orleans. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

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The 23-time Grand Slam champion said reasoning backmost to her participation, she doesn’t cognize if "I regret it oregon not." 

"I don't cognize the reply to that."

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