Serena Williams is clearing the air and setting the record straight after online speculation suggested her surprise Super Bowl appearance during Kendrick Lamar’s halftime performance of “Not Like Us” was a subtle dig at her former flame, Drake.
Social media quickly lit up after Serena briefly appeared on stage and hit a crip walk, which some interpreted as a co-sign of Kendrick’s diss track against the Canadian rapper. Given Serena and Drake’s past relationship, the internet did what it does best—jumped to conclusions.
But in a new interview with TIME, the tennis legend dismissed the rumors.
“Absolutely not,” Serena said when asked if her cameo was meant to troll Drake. “I would never do that. And that was sad, that anyone would ever think that. I respect how they could. Obviously, I can see how someone would think that. But absolutely not. I have never had negative feelings towards him. We’ve known him for so many years.”
Despite her screen time lasting just a few seconds, the moment sparked major buzz—and even a few formal complaints. Reports say over 100 messages flooded the FCC, with at least one person accusing her of having gang affiliations based on her crip walk.
Reflecting on the backlash, Serena admitted:
“I don’t know if I regret it or not,” she said. “I don’t know the answer to that.”
She also shared that her appearance wasn’t spontaneous. It was carefully considered with her team, and the chance to represent her Compton roots on one of the biggest stages in the world was a key motivator.
“Who would have thought that a tennis player from Compton would be regarded as one of the best tennis players of all time?” she said. “It was just putting an exclamation on it.”
At the end of the day, Serena’s focus remains on celebrating her hometown, owning her legacy, and staying out of rap beefs—no matter what the internet thinks.
