Serena Williams Steals the Spotlight at Super Bowl Halftime Show
At 43 years old, Serena Williams may be retired from tennis, but she’s still dominating the culture. The legendary athlete took the stage at Super Bowl LIX in an unexpected halftime cameo with rapper Kendrick Lamar, where she effortlessly performed a crip walk, rocking a blue tennis skirt and matching jacket.
After the performance, Williams shared the moment with her 17 million Instagram followers, simply captioning it “SB25” with a microphone and downward arrow emoji. What followed was an outpouring of love from celebrities, athletes, and fans alike.
A-List Support: Stars React to Serena’s Performance
Serena’s appearance wasn’t just a win for hip-hop and sports culture, it was a moment of pure entertainment that had Hollywood buzzing.
🔥 Celebrity Reactions:
- Kerry Washington – “BOWING DOWN” to the tennis queen.
- Jamie Foxx – Called her a “Legend” and later added “Ate” (meaning she delivered flawlessly).
- Amanda Kloots – Called Serena the “Best part of the show.”
- Tamar Braxton – “Ate that, sis,” with a fire emoji.
- Venus Williams – Added a blue heart and stars in support of her sister.
- Tina Knowles (Beyoncé’s mother) – Excitedly commented “Yessss! We screamed when we saw you” with red hearts.
- Queen Latifah – “@SerenaWilliams is my SUPERHERO!!!!!”
- John Legend – Dropped fire emojis to show love.
- Ashley Graham – Quoted a lyric from Not Like Us and added “LFG” (Let’s F****** Go).
- Michael Jackson’s sister LaToya Jackson – “Oh, Serena, how cute! Love it!!!”
And in one of the most unexpected shoutouts, Elmo from Sesame Street joined in, tweeting:
“Great dance moves, Ms. Serena! Elmo loves you!”
Cultural Significance: Why Serena’s Dance Mattered
While Serena’s moment lasted mere seconds, it held deeper meaning for her and the culture.
✅ The Crip Walk Legacy – Serena’s crip walk wasn’t just a dance; it was a cultural callback. She famously performed the same celebratory move in 2012 after defeating Maria Sharapova at the Olympics.
✅ Connection to Compton – The dance originated in Serena’s hometown of Compton, California—the same place that birthed Kendrick Lamar.
✅ Past Controversy – When she first did the crip walk at Wimbledon, she faced backlash due to its gang-related history. The dance has long been a symbol of West Coast culture, but its association with gang activity has made it a topic of debate in mainstream spaces.
After her Super Bowl cameo, Williams playfully addressed the past controversy, joking:
“I didn’t crip walk like that at Wimbledon—I would have been fined!”
The Drake Connection: A Not-So-Subtle Message?
Adding another layer of drama, Serena’s performance happened during Kendrick Lamar’s set, where he performed his Drake diss track, “Not Like Us.”
👀 Why does this matter?
- Drake & Serena were romantically linked in the past before she married Alexis Ohanian.
- The song took direct shots at Drake, making the moment even more symbolic as Serena danced along.
- Many saw Serena’s presence as her siding with Kendrick in the ongoing rap battle.
Final Thoughts: Serena Wins Again
Serena Williams may have retired from tennis, but she’s still a cultural force. From Wimbledon to the Super Bowl, she keeps breaking boundaries and proving that she’s more than just an athlete—she’s a cultural icon.
🚨 Black Cosmopolitans, what do you think? Was Serena’s surprise Super Bowl moment an instant classic? Let’s talk in the comments! 👇🏾
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