Serena Williams caused a stir by performing the 'Crip Walk' dance move during Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl performance despite having a tragic link to gang violence.
The 23-time Grand Slam winner was a surprise guest during Lamar's 13-minute set in New Orleans, dancing to his Grammy-award winning 'Not Like Us' diss track aimed at rival Drake, who Williams was previously romantically linked with for a period between 2011 and 2015.
Wearing a blue skirt, jacket and shoes, the tennis sensation was seen doing the dance which is commonly associated with the Crip gang hailing from Los Angeles - having been created by 'Robert Sugar Bear' Jackson in the 1970s.
The dance, which spells out the word C-R-I-P if executed correctly, has taken off a life of its own to the point where it has transcended from West Coast gang culture and Serena was criticised for doing it on the court at Wimbledon following a gold medal victory over Maria Sharapova at the London Olympics in 2012.
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She was accused of glorifying of gang violence, though Serena said it was "just a dance".
Williams' tragic connection to the Crip gang
However, Williams and sister Venus do have a personal connection to the C-Walk.
Back in 2003, their half-sister Yetunde Price, was killed in a drive-boy shooting in Compton.
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Price, who was 31 at the time, was speaking to her boyfriend in an parked-up SUV when she was fatally shot in the head.
Without Price and her boyfriend being aware, the vehicle was stationed outside of a crack house operated by the South Side Compton Crips, who opened fire without confirming their target.
Price was entirely innocent and it's said the Crips believed they were under threat from a rival gang.
Price was pronounced dead at the hospital and Robert Maxfield, 25, was eventually convicted of voluntary manslaughter and sentenced to 15 years in prison.
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But Williams' decision to perform the dance which is associated with the gang which claimed the life of her sister gained received plenty of negative reaction on social media.
One view took to X to write: "Serena Williams’ sister was killed by a Crip in a drive-by shooting and she had the audacity to Crip Walk during Kendrick Lamar’s halftime show... indefensible."
A second said: "Oh my God… why did I just find out Serena Williams sister was killed by Crips… she must really hate Drake cause what the f**k?"
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A third added: “Serena really just Crip Walked at the Super Bowl? After what happened to her sister? That’s wild.”
A fourth fumed: "Imagine your sister was murdered by Crips and 20 years later you’re out here C-Walking in blue. SMH.”
A fifth commented: "Serena Williams has always been tapped into hip-hop culture, so this isn’t surprising, but it’s a weird look considering her past.”
Reflecting on her showing backstage, Williams said: "Man I did not crip walk like that at Wimbledon. Oh, I would've been fined."
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Meanwhile, her husband Alexis Ohanian took to Instagram and wrote: "Some of y’all have no idea how criticised Serena was for this same dance at Wimbledon 13 years ago, and it shows. This is bigger than the music."
Topics: Super Bowl, Serena Williams, Fan Reactions
Josh Lawless