Whoopi Goldberg is standing firmly behind Serena Williams after ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith criticized the tennis icon
for her surprise appearance during Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl LIX halftime performance.
On The View, Goldberg, 69, called out Smith for focusing on Williams’ past relationship with rapper Drake rather than celebrating her performance.
Whoopi Goldberg Calls Out Stephen A. Smith’s Remarks
During Tuesday’s episode of The View, Goldberg expressed her frustration over Smith’s take on Williams’ Super Bowl cameo.
“Why wasn’t it, ‘Damn, Serena was great?’ Why is it about some ex-boyfriend she hasn’t thought of?” Goldberg asked her co-hosts.
She continued, questioning why Smith assumed Williams’ participation was meant as a dig at Drake.
“Why would you even think it was [about Drake]? Why would you think she’s not smart enough?” she added.
Goldberg went on to praise Williams for simply embracing the opportunity to perform on one of the biggest stages in the world.
“She got a chance to do something she wanted to do, and she went and did it,” Goldberg said. “And instead of saying, ‘Damn, that was kind of great,’ you’re bringing it back to some old stuff.”
Serena Williams’ Super Bowl Cameo Sparks Debate
The 43-year-old retired tennis star made headlines when she danced—specifically, Crip Walked—to Lamar’s Not Like Us, a track that contains subtle shots at Drake. The moment immediately fueled speculation that Williams was sending a message to her ex-boyfriend, whom she dated between 2011 and 2015.
Smith, 57, reacted strongly to the performance on his First Take podcast, implying that Williams’ decision to join the performance was inappropriate given that she is now married to tech entrepreneur Alexis Ohanian.
“If I’m married and my wife is going to join trolling her ex, go back to his a*,”* Smith said. “Cause, clearly, you don’t belong with me. What you worried about him for and you’re with me? Bye. Bye.”
Williams’ Supporters Defend Her Against Criticism
Goldberg wasn’t alone in shutting down Smith’s comments. Fellow The View co-host Sara Haines argued that Williams’ participation in the performance was a sign of confidence in her marriage, not an attempt to shade Drake.
“I think it says more about the security of the man in the marriage than it would about that,” Haines said. “Even her husband was like, ‘Pretty fantastic halftime show.’ Like, it was awesome.”
Sunny Hostin also pushed back against the idea that Williams’ dance was about Drake, pointing out that the athlete has done the same move before.
“She took a lot of criticism for doing that,” Hostin recalled. “What she was doing was being her authentic self, an homage to her roots from Compton, and it was Black joy and Black excellence. You’ve got the greatest female athlete of all time coming out and enjoying herself.”
Alyssa Farah Griffin added that even if Williams was throwing a subtle jab at Drake, it was well deserved.
“He’s taken digs at her husband,” Griffin noted. “I don’t even know that it counts as petty when he’s been deeply petty to you and you’re just clapping back.”
Serena Williams Shuts Down Speculation
Williams later addressed the rumors herself, making it clear that her Super Bowl cameo had nothing to do with her ex.
Taking to Instagram, she wrote:
“When @kendricklamar and team called and was like, ‘We’ve been trying to do something forever, what about this? We loved your Crip Walk at the Olympics after you won the gold medal.’ I’m like, Super Bowl? Are you serious? When in the world would I ever be able to dance at a Super Bowl? (Never) let’s do it!”
She ended her post with a clear message:
“I knew my winning dance after the @olympics would pay off one day. End of story.”
The Ongoing Feud Between Drake and Williams’ Husband
Williams’ marriage to Ohanian has been a subject of jabs from Drake in the past. In his 2022 song Middle of the Ocean, he took a shot at Ohanian, rapping:
“Sidebar, Serena, your husband a groupie / He claim we don’t got a problem but / No boo, it is like you coming for sushi.”
Ohanian, however, embraced the insult, responding on social media:
“The reason I stay winning is because I’m relentless about being the absolute best at whatever I do—including being the best groupie for my wife [and] daughter.”
Kendrick Lamar seemed to back Williams in Not Like Us, with the line:
“From Alondra down to Central / N*** better not speak on Serena.”*
Serena Williams Claps Back at the ESPYs
Williams, known for her quick wit, also took a swipe at Drake while hosting the 2024 ESPYs.
“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,” she said.
She continued:
“He will make your hometown not like you. The next time Drake sits courtside at a Raptors game, they’re gonna Forrest Gump him, ‘Seat’s taken.’”
Final Thoughts
Goldberg’s defense of Williams reflects the frustration many feel over the constant scrutiny of women’s actions through the lens of their relationships. Rather than celebrating Williams for embracing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Smith’s remarks reduced her Super Bowl cameo to a conversation about her past.
Williams, however, made it clear that her performance was about having fun and celebrating her career—not about any ex-boyfriend. With support from her husband, fans, and now The View hosts, she continues to prove that she is not one to be defined by past relationships but by her own legacy.
