Serena Williams appeared briefly during Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl LIX halftime performance of “Not Like Us” on February 9, 2025. The dance echoed her celebration after winning Olympic gold in 2012, which had drawn criticism. Williams later said Lamar’s team invited her, that representing Compton mattered to her, and that she was not trying to take a shot at Drake.
What Serena Williams did during the Super Bowl halftime show
Near the end of Kendrick Lamar’s Apple Music Super Bowl LIX halftime show, Williams danced briefly during “Not Like Us.” TIME described her cameo as lasting less than five seconds. The moment caught attention because the movement recalled the celebration she performed after winning Olympic gold in 2012. TIME and ABC News covered the appearance and the reaction.
Why Williams said she accepted the invitation
Williams told the Los Angeles Times that Lamar and his team had contacted her because they had long wanted to work together and liked her Olympic winning dance. She said she was initially disbelieving, then accepted immediately. TIME later reported that she saw the chance to bring attention to Compton before a global audience as too good to pass up.
In her TIME interview, Williams described the hometown connection this way: “Who would have thought that a tennis player from Compton would be regarded as one of the best tennis players of all time? It was just putting an exclamation on it.”
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Why the Olympic celebration had drawn criticism
After defeating Maria Sharapova for Olympic gold in 2012, Williams celebrated with a dance that some commentators called crass or inappropriate. A Los Angeles Times sports columnist suggested it glamorized gang violence, according to TIME’s account of the episode. Williams responded at the time: “It was just a dance.” The criticism was a reaction to her celebration, not an established judgment about what the dance meant.
Was Williams taking a shot at Drake?
The Super Bowl dance prompted speculation because it took place during “Not Like Us,” Lamar’s song aimed at Drake. Williams rejected the idea that she appeared to target him. “Absolutely not,” she told TIME. “I would never do that.” She added: “I have never had negative feelings towards him. We’ve known him for so many years.” ABC News also reported her explanation.
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Williams’s own account was that Lamar invited her and that the appearance offered a chance to celebrate Compton. The song and the artists’ public history help explain why viewers speculated, but they do not establish that she intended a personal message to Drake.
How Williams joked about the backlash
After the show, Williams joked on social media: “Man, I did not crip walk like that at Wimbledon. Ooh, I would’ve been fined.” The line referred to the earlier criticism and to the stricter expectations associated with tennis settings. ABC News also reproduced her later caption about her Olympic “winning dance” paying off one day.
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On February 17, as reported by Us Weekly, Williams wrote that she was “def not dancing to be petty” and said she had no time for petty behavior. Her husband, Alexis Ohanian, had also publicly reminded critics that the earlier dance had been criticized. These were responses to the chatter, not a formal rebuttal addressed to each critic.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the reported FCC complaints do—and do not—show
TIME reported that the Federal Communications Commission received about 125 complaints concerning Lamar’s halftime performance. One complaint accused Williams of promoting gang affiliation; ABC News likewise described it as one of the complaints following the show. That is a reported complaint, not an FCC finding that the accusation was true. The cited coverage does not establish an official determination about it.
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