What's Behind Serena Williams' Halftime Cameo? | The View

#TheView co-hosts weigh in on whether Serena Williams' halftime cameo was about clapping back at past criticism or trolling rapper Drake.

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[gwen]

Serena Williams looked amazing and killed the dance!!! Love her. 🙏❤❤❤❤

[team-isnf]

Drake dissed her husband on a song and Serena's husband clapped back so I'm sure he was good with it.

[egbun]

The dance itself was very cool. Loved it. That’s all.

[volcrazy]

I didn't even know she and Drake were a thing. I thought it was just about black culture and she's one of the biggest black culture icons of all time.

[livelaughloathe]

Kendrick gives Serena a shout out in Not Like Us lol it wasn’t random

[annafoley]

Serena was enjoying herself having a wonderful time! She is happily married with 2 beautiful daughters ❤ Typical negative comments about a woman of color! Leave women of color alone!

[cashaeleatemla]

Serena Williams crip walking during Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show was more than just a celebration of their shared roots in Compton, California.

Fans on social media noted that she made a cameo while Lamar was performing “Not Like Us, ” his Grammy-winning Drake diss song. This has layers to it, as Williams and Drake have a romantic history from 2015.

As Harper’s Bazaar pointed out, Lamar referenced Williams in the lyrics of the song, rapping, “From Alondra down to Central, better not speak on Serena.”

It’s been almost a decade since Williams and Drake sparked dating rumors. In August 2015, Drake had been attending Williams’s matches regularly, and TMZ ran photos of them making out at a dinner in Cincinnati.

By October 2015, their romance had ended, though. Us Weekly reported that Williams had moved onto her now-husband Alexis Ohanian. A source dismissed Williams and Drake’s relationship as well, saying it had just been a “flirty friendship.”

Williams said nothing about Drake after the performance, but she did post on X, formerly known as Twitter, about her cameo. “Let’s go Super Bowl halftime??! I died a little!” she wrote.

In a second clip, she wrote, “man, I did not crip walk like that at Wimbledon. Oooh, I would’ve been fined! It was all love.”

[Leonaza]

Stephen wouldn’t have too, because she would never give him the chance! 😂

[chadd]

Guys 2 things can be true. It can be all about black excellence and Wimbledon. But also she was chosen and was dancing during that specific song because she’s drakes ex.

[j]

Stephen A. Smith, nobody cares what you think. “If my wife”. That’s right YOUR wife. Let her husband worry about it and if he’s not bothered why should you be?

[sharonbacon]

I love everything about her she looks great doing the C Walk dance 🖤

[Leonaza]

Serena is representing Compton. You can interpret it anyway you want.

[ermertieplug]

Whoopi doesn't understand why people would assume it was about dissing Drake. Maybe because the song was about dissing Drake.

[geekylove]

Black culture is not gang culture. Black excellence is not death and destruction.

No matter what the mainstream throw at us to condition us and to make others think of us a particular will overcome.

[Heartboy]

Loved when Whoopie went "We Do" at the end lol

[LordLava]

And Serena loves dancing. She danced in Lemonade

[Journeyoflife]

Says a man that’s NEVER been married 😂😂😂😂😂

[IMHTP]

Serena was mentioned in the song, so her feature was the cherry on top of that halftime show. Stephen A. is just a major hater. RIP Drake 😢😂

[latikawadhwa]

Serena Williams' Super Bowl cameo was a bold move, possibly aimed at Drake, with whom she has a past connection, as she danced to Kendrick Lamar's diss track "Not Like Us". Her appearance could also be seen as a cultural statement, echoing her past dance moves, but the timing and context suggest it was part of Lamar's strategic jab at Drake! GOTTA LOVE SUPERBOWL :D

[kornydude]

You got a point whoop! But yes that was a jab at Drake also. EVERYONE in Hip hop knows that.