Serena Williams stole the spotlight at Super Bowl LIX on Sunday night in New Orleans with her crip walk, the same dance that sparked controversy at Wimbledon in 2012. (More Sports News)
Fans were treated to a surprise cameo by the tennis legend during Kendrick Lamar's halftime performance of Not Like Us at Super Bowl. However, some of them did not quite like it g꧂iven past controversies.
What Is Crip Walk?
The 🅰Crip Walk also known as the C-Walk is a dance move that originated in the early 1970s in Los Angeles, created by members of the Crips street gang. Over time, the dance was adopted into hip-hop culture as one may have seen it in Snoop Dogg and Ice Cube songs.
However, the Crips have been associated with widespread violence in their time--killing thousands including Yetunde Price, sister of Serena Williams, back in 2003. T🥂his, along with another unexpected twist, is what ignited the controversy following Serena's dance🥂 on Sunday night.
Williams q💝uickly addressed it in a video she posted on X from backstage at the Super Bowl. Laughing off the criticism, she said, "Man, I did not Crip Walk like that at Wimbledon. Oh, I would've been fined." She further clarified the intent behind her performance, adding, "It was all love."
What Happened At Wimbledon?
When Serena Williams celebrated her victory at Wimbledon in 2012 with the same C🌞rip Walk, it was not well received and was widely criticized. Her fans argued that the backlash was excessive and even racially motivated. But the criticism was big enough that prompted Williams to defend herself.
She said, "It was just a dance," in London.
Jab At Drake?
The second factor that🎃 stirred up headlines after the C-walk at the Caesars Superdome was ...Drake. Reportedly, Williams had once dated rapper Drake, who happens to be Kendrick Lamar's rival.
Lamar even took a jab at Drake in his Grammy-award-winnin♕g diss track, which he performed during Sunday’s Super Bowl halftime show. One of the lines of the track says, "Better not speak on Serena". And, after the 42-year-old tennis star performed, it was clearly a jab at Drake to some fans.
Nevertheless, the 23-time Grand Slam winner received not only criticism but also admiration for her stunning performance, draped in blue. F1 legend Lewis Hamilton was one of the many, sharing her video on his In♛stagram story.
The Super Bowl LIX -- one of the biggest sporting events in the United States and the world -- saw the Philadelphia Eagles sealing the NFL title beating the defending champions Kansan City Ch⛦iefs 40-22.
Plenty of Hollywood stars including Taylor Swift, Jay-Z, Bradley Cooper along with US President Donald Trump were spotted in the stands of the Superdome.
