Tennis star Serena Williams made a surprise cameo during rapper Kendrick Lamar’s halftime performance at the Super Bowl on Sunday, showcasing her crip walk – a dance move that originated in Los Angeles.
The moves were a reference to Williams and Lamar’s shared roots in the city.
But the performance also recalled a Wimbledon controversy, when Williams faced criticism for a similar dance in celebration of her gold medal after defeating Maria Sharapova at the London Olympics in 2012.
Critics at the time argued the dance was inappropriate and a glorification of gang violence.
Williams addressed the controversy in a video she posted on X of her backstage at the Super Bowl.
“Man I did not crip walk like that at Wimbledon,” she said laughing. “Oh, I would’ve been fined.”
“It was all love,” she added of the Super Bowl performance.
The crip walk was a move created by members of Los Angeles-area street gang the Crips in the 1970s. It was later adopted in the hip-hop community, especially among those with ties to the city.
Williams has defended herself from criticism of her 2012 Wimbledon celebration. Some of her supporters have said the backlash was excessive and even racist.
“It was just a dance,” Williams said of her celebration at the time.
Williams’ cameo at the Super Bowl also captured the audience’s attention for another reason. The 43-year-old reportedly once dated rapper Drake, Lamar’s rival and the focus of his Grammy-award winning diss track, which he performed on Sunday.
Lamar seemingly references Williams in the track, called Not Like Us, saying Drake “better not speak on Serena”.
Williams, who grew up in Compton, California, has been married to Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian since 2017.
