When Serena Williams made a surprise appearance during Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl LIX halftime show, fans exploded with rumors — was this her subtle clap-back at ex-boyfriend Drake? The tennis legend, however, is now squashing those whispers with a powerful message: no shade was thrown.
The drama unfolded on February 9, 2025, at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, where Kendrick Lamar headlined the star-studded Apple Music Super Bowl halftime show. As he performed his fiery diss track “Not Like Us” — widely believed to be directed at Drake — Serena appeared, briefly “Crip walking” on stage. The timing felt too perfect for many not to read into it. The Express Tribune+3TIME+3Yahoo Sports+3
Understandably, viewers connected the dots: Serena and Kendrick share roots in Compton, and Drake has had a complicated past with both. In his song, Lamar even warns, “better not speak on Serena”. Yahoo Sports+1 Meanwhile, Serena and Drake were romantically linked for years — sparking the narrative that her performance was a calculated dig.
But in a recent interview with Time, Serena shut down that theory—firmly. She made it clear that her involvement had nothing to do with her past relationship with Drake. The FADER+2The Express Tribune+2 “Absolutely not,” she said. “I would never do that. … I have never had negative feelings towards him.” NME+1
So what was the real reason behind her cameo? According to Serena, Kendrick reached out to her just weeks before the Super Bowl to give her that moment on stage — not as a diss prop, but as a tribute to their shared Compton roots. The Express Tribune+1 That Crip walk she did wasn’t meant to be provocative; she’s done it before — at the 2012 London Olympics — as a celebratory dance. TIME
Still, her performance rattled some. The FCC reportedly received more than 125 complaints — not about her tennis, but about her dance, which some viewers controversially interpreted as “gang affiliation.” NME Serena admitted she’s unsure whether she regrets taking the stage. “I don’t know if I regret it or not,” she told Time. The FADER
Beyond the shock factor, though, the moment has a deeper meaning. It wasn’t just about celebrity gossip or old flings — it was a celebration of where she comes from, and a reunion with someone who shares her hometown pride. In her own words, it was “putting an exclamation” on her journey from Compton to becoming one of the greatest athletes ever. BET+1
So while the internet buzzed with speculation, Serena Williams made one thing very clear: her Super Bowl cameo wasn’t about drama. It was about legacy. And sometimes, that’s more powerful than any diss.
