Serena Williams has finally put an end to speculation surrounding her brief appearance at the Super Bowl halftime show. As one of the most-watched sports events, the Super Bowl halftime show often features surprise appearances from iconic celebrities.
In February, tennis legend Williams made headlines with her unexpected cameo during rapper Kendrick Lamar’s captivating performance of “Not Like Us”. A diss track to Canadian rapper Drake, with whom he’d been engaged in a bitter feud.
Given Williams’ past relationship with rapper Drake, fans were quick to speculate whether her dance moves were a subtle dig at him, igniting a whirlwind of online discussions and conspiracy theories.
During Lamar’s performance, Williams made a surprise cameo, busting out some impressive crip walk to the beat of Grammy Award-winning diss track “Not Like Us”.
The internet was quick to speculate that Williams’ dance was a subtle jab at her ex, whom she dated between 2011 and 2015. However, in a recent interview with Time magazine, Williams clarified that the speculation is false.
“I would never do that,” she said, expressing her disappointment that people would think she would use the platform to settle personal scores.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion elaborated on her thoughts, saying, “And that was sad, that anyone would ever think that.” She acknowledged that the speculation was understandable, given the context, but emphasised that it was entirely untrue.
“I respect how they could. Obviously I can see how someone would think that. But absolutely not,” she added.
Williams also spoke about her relationship with Drake, downplaying any notion of tension between them. “I have never had negative feelings towards him. We’ve known him for so many years,” she said, highlighting the friendly dynamic they have shared over the years.
However, not everyone is buying Williams’ explanation. Many fans and critics are calling her out for allegedly being dishonest about her intentions.
Some argue that she knew exactly what she was getting herself into when she agreed to perform with Lamar, given the context of the song “Not Like Us” and its perceived diss towards rapper Drake.
“Girl, you literally did it during a Drake diss song … you knew exactly what you were doing and what people would think lol,” said @price0fwoke.
Girl you literally did it during a Drake diss song…you knew exactly what you were doing and what people would think lol
— 💋 (@price0fwoke) April 16, 2025
@hive_blockchain asked: “You’re literally dancing to his diss song. How is it not a dig to take part?”
You're literally dancing to his diss song.
— Niallon11 (@hive_blockchain) April 16, 2025
How is it not a dig to take part?
@KeshanNaidoo3 commented: “That’s a load of garbage. The central focus of that entire performance was Drake. The entire performance was set up to lead to the ‘A-Minor’ line.”
That's a load of garbage. The central focus of that entire performance was Drake. The entire performance was setup to lead to the 'A-Minor' line
These cynics claim that Williams’ crip walk was a deliberate move to fuel the narrative, rather than a harmless dance move. The debate has sparked a heated discussion online, with some defending the champ’s explanation and others accusing her of "knowing what she was doing".