Serena Williams’ Husband Just Ended Stephen A. Smith’s Whole Career
In the wild world of sports commentary, you’re bound to find some truly scorching hot takes, especially when you have people like Serena Williams in front of you. But every so often, a take is so mind-numbingly bad that it causes a chain reaction of epic proportions. Enter Stephen A. Smith, a man who seemingly gets paid by the word to stir the pot, who decided to aim his questionable insights at one of the greatest athletes of all time, Serena Williams. The result? Her husband, Alexis Ohanian, calmly and surgically dismantled him on his own show. You almost have to respect the sheer audacity.
It all started during this year’s Super Bowl halftime show. Kendrick Lamar was performing his smash hit diss track “Not Like Us,” a song that took aim at the rapper Drake. Suddenly, Serena Williams herself appeared on stage, dancing along and having a great time. For most of us, it was a cool, unexpected cameo. For Stephen A. Smith, it was apparently a declaration of war on her own marriage.
Why? Because years ago, Williams was rumored to have dated Drake. So, in the twisted logic of Stephen A., her dancing on stage to a song dissing him was a personal affront to her husband. “If I’m your husband, I’m thinking, ‘Why are you up there trolling him? Trolling your ex?'” Smith proclaimed on ESPN’s First Take. “If I’m married, and my wife is going to troll her ex, go back to his ***. Because clearly you don’t belong with me.”
Yes, you read that right. A 23-time Grand Slam champion, a global icon, and a successful businesswoman can’t dance on stage at the Super Bowl without some talking head questioning her loyalty to her husband. The internet, predictably, went nuclear. Fans immediately called out Smith for the sheer disrespect, but the real knockout punch was yet to come.
Alexis Ohanian Delivers a Masterclass in Shade
Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit and Serena Williams’ husband, didn’t just fire back with an angry tweet. No, he did something far more devastating: he went directly onto Smith’s show to deliver the smackdown in person. With a calm, almost surgical precision, Ohanian exposed the absurdity of Smith’s comments.
“You hadn’t been married before, right?” Ohanian asked, already knowing the answer. “Cause I give advice to plenty of founders who want to build billion-dollar companies. And the reason I do that is because I build billion-dollar companies. So I generally try to stay in my lane.”
Let’s just pause and appreciate the beauty of that comeback. It’s a verbal checkmate. In one fell swoop, Ohanian not only highlighted Smith’s complete lack of qualifications to dish out marriage advice but also casually reminded everyone that he, Ohanian, is a certified genius who builds empires for a living. It was the professional equivalent of “know your role.” Smith, for once, was left looking utterly speechless.
Why Smith’s Take on Williams Was So Off-Base
The core of the issue is the tired, outdated idea that a successful woman is somehow still defined by her past relationships. Serena Williams has conquered the world of tennis, built a business empire, and is raising a family. The idea that she’s secretly pining for or “trolling” a man she may or may not have dated a decade ago is just plain insulting. She was having fun. That’s it.
It’s a bizarre double standard. Male athletes are rarely, if ever, subjected to this kind of scrutiny over their personal lives. But when a woman as powerful as Williams enjoys a moment in the spotlight, there’s always someone ready to reduce her actions to being about a man. Ohanian didn’t just defend his wife; he defended her right to exist as an individual, separate from the men in her past or present. And he did it with a level of class and biting wit that most of us can only dream of.
