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Serena Williams brought some unexpected heat to the Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show, making a surprise appearance during Kendrick Lamar's electrifying performance. As the rapper launched into his set, Williams took center stage, breaking into a crip walk—a dance move with deep roots in Los Angeles street culture.
For many, the moment was a nostalgic callback to Williams' infamous celebration at the 2012 Olympics, when she danced the crip walk after securing a gold medal against Maria Sharapova. At the time, critics slammed her for using a dance linked to gang culture, arguing that it was inappropriate for the Wimbledon stage.
This time around, Williams addressed the controversy with humor. In a backstage video posted on X, she laughed, saying, "Man, I did not crip walk like that at Wimbledon. Oh, I would've been fined." She added, "It was all love," shutting down any potential backlash before it could take off.
The crip walk, originally created by the Crips gang in the 1970s, later became a signature move in hip-hop culture, particularly among artists with ties to Los Angeles. Williams' dance was a nod to her and Lamar's shared Compton roots, where both found their rise to fame in their respective fields.
But the tennis star's appearance also sparked interest for another reason: her rumored past relationship with rapper Drake, Kendrick Lamar's longtime rival. Fans were quick to point out that Lamar's performance featured "Not Like Us," a fiery diss track aimed at Drake, with lyrics that even referenced Williams herself.
"You better not speak on Serena," Lamar rapped in the song, a direct shot at Drake's past comments about the tennis legend. The moment fueled speculation that Williams may have subtly chosen a side in the rap feud, though she has long moved on, happily married to Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian since 2017.
Williams' cameo was brief, but it packed a punch—reminding the world of her legendary status, both on and off the court. Love it or hate it, the 23-time Grand Slam champion has never been one to shy away from making a statement.
