Serena Williams joins Kendrick Lamar on stage for Super Bowl Halftime Show: Here's what it means
Trending | NFL | Sports | Entertainment Did you spot Serena Williams at the Super Bowl Halftime show? The Tennis star made a blockbuster cameo at the Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday night during Kendrick Lamar's smashing performance.
Did you spot Serena Williams dancing to Kendrick Lamar's Drake diss track 'Not Like Us' during the 2025 Super Bowl halftime show? The Tennis star made a blockbuster cameo at the Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday night during Kendrick Lamar's smashing performance. The camera flipped to the corner of the stage in the middle of Lamar's performance only to show the 43-year-old tennis legend crip walking, dressed in blue.
Williams and Drake's history
Many are interpreting Williams's appearance on stage as a reply to a long-standing cold war with Drake.
Just like Lamar, Williams is not the biggest fan of Drake. Many would recall William and Drake were rumoured to have dated years ago. Drake even referenced Williams in his 2013 song 'Worst Behaviour' and then again in his 2022 song 'Middle of the Ocean', in the even shaded her now-husband Alexis Ohanian as a 'groupie'.
Lamar even mentions Williams in the lyrics of 'Not Like Us,' seemingly telling Drake he “better not speak on Serena.”
Super Bowl LIX, Eagles vs Chiefs: WATCH | Every touchdown from the game
Williams, while hosting last year's ESPY Awards, stated, "If I’ve learned anything this year, it’s that none of us, not a single one of us, not even me, should ever pick a fight with Kendrick Lamar,” before dancing to “Not Like Us.” “He will make your hometown not like you. The next time Drake sits courtside at a Raptors game, they’re going to Forrest Gump him. Seats taken.” Like Lamar, Williams too grew up Compton, the California city which is known for its significance to the history of hip-hop.
Serena Williams' history of crip walking
This isn't the first time Williams has crip walked on stage. Before she danced on Super Bowl Stage, she had celebrated her win with a smilar step at the at the Wimbledon court in London against Maria Sharapova to secure the gold medal at the 2012 Olympics.
'Why is Trump saluting?' Netizens curious about Donald Trump's salute at Super Bowl 2025 - VIDEO
Back then she faced an onslaught of criticism for what commentators described as crass and inappropriate. “What Serena did was akin to cracking a tasteless, X-rated joke inside a church,” Fox Sports’ Jason Whitlock had said. Some had suggested the dance glamorized gang violence.
Williams was asked later to react on the moves and she simply siad, “It was just a dance.”
More than 12 years later, however, she still remembers the backlash. “Man, I did not crip walk like that at Wimbledon. Ooh, I would’ve been fined,” Williams joked on social media on Sunday night.
Reactions on Serena Williams’ Super Bowl halftime-show cameo
Fans obviously were ecstatic on seeing the Tennis legend dance at Super Bowl. “serena ate that” wrote tennis star Coco Gauff on X. “You did that!!!” wrote her sister, Venus Williams. The official accounts of the US Olympic Team and the US Open Tennis Championships also cheered for her.
“For those of y’all who weren’t outside, the media tore Serena to shreds for crip walking at Wimbledon,” one user wrote on X. “Her coming back to do a dance that references a culture she’s actually a part of, during a live performance criticizing someone for being a culture vulture is *chef’s kiss.*”
Lamar also earned praise for including Williams. "kendrick bringing out serena williams to crip walk after drake stalked that woman publicly for years and obsessively threw shots at her for turning him down is so wild, that man is the definition of chaotic good,” one X user commented.
Serena Williams involved in the set is actually a critical blow. A very critical one 😂😂😂😂
Some called out Drake in the comments. “Serena Williams crip walking to a song about you being a pedophile has to hurt existentially,” wrote one X user. Another pointed out, “If my ex girlfriend was on the tv crip walking to a song calling me a pedophile at the super bowl my feelings would be hurt to say the least.”
