Serena Williams is setting the record straight concerning her unexpected appearance in Kendrick Lamar's electrifying Super Bowl Halftime Show rendition of "Not Like Us." Despite the 2024 anthem being a pointed diss aimed squarely at Drake, the tennis legend recently sat down with TIME magazine to clarify that her cameo was in no way a subtle dig at the Toronto rapper, with whom she had an on-again, off-again relationship over a decade ago. "Absolutely not," she declared emphatically. "I would never do that. And it's sad that anyone would even think that."
Williams's emergence during the halftime show caught everyone by surprise, yet it wasn't entirely unexpected. Lamar and Williams share roots in Compton, and in "Not Like Us," Lamar warns Drake to "better not speak on Serena," thus contextually explaining her cameo. Drake, too, has a history of subtly referencing Williams in his songs, from his 2011 collaboration with J. Cole on "In the Morning" (where he raps, "And I would always ride the stallions whenever she let me / I'm joking / I mean that thing is poking / I mean you kinda like that girl that's in the US Open") to name-dropping her while discussing his 2016 collaboration with Rihanna on "Too Good."
"Obviously, I can see how someone might perceive it that way," said Williams, acknowledging the perceived slight towards Drake. "But absolutely not. I've never harbored any negative feelings towards him. We've known him for so many years."
During the same interview, Williams also addressed ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith's bold declaration that he would have divorced her had he been her husband over the cameo. "I thought it was hilarious," said Williams, who is married to billionaire and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. "He's entitled to his personal opinion. But did you see my husband's response? It was so eloquent."
