About six months ago, I covered an interview with Serena Williams. Some of what she said about her home life made my Spidey sense tingle – it’s beyond clear that Serena loves and adores her two daughters and loves being a mom. But she barely mentioned her husband Alexis Ohanian in the piece. While he attended at least one pre-Met Gala event with Serena this year, he didn’t attend the gala with her. Their public appearances together have been fewer and far between in the past year. Now, he did support Serena at Queen’s Club in the UK last week (she won one doubles match before her partner withdrew), but it actually looks like part of the reason why Serena has launched this tennis comeback is because she wants to get out of the house, for many reasons, some of which are about the state of her marriage.
Well, then something else happened. Alexis flew from the UK to DC, just in time to attend Donald Trump’s vile UFC event on the White House lawn. And just like Nate Bargatze, Alexis has been getting cooked on social media for cozying up to these horrible people. Alexis also watched as UFC fighter Josh Hokit called Michelle Obama a man, and then Alexis went back to his Black athlete wife, the same wife who has been called “manly” throughout her life and career. Well, Alexis finally said something, posting this statement on Twitter:
Lot of people asking me to comment: Yes, that fighter’s slur about former First Lady Michelle Obama was vile and inappropriate.
I attended the UFC event via invitation from TKO/IMG leadership (I own 5 pro sports teams + a league). I was already on my way home when those comments were made and was glad to see Dana condemn them.
For context: I resigned in protest from Reddit (the company I co-founded and built for over a decade) specifically to push it to curb communities for hate and violence on the site.
[From Alexis Ohanian’s Twitter]
People are still cooking him in the comments, basically arguing that Alexis shouldn’t have been there in the first place. I agree with that. What Josh Hokit said was vile, but THE WHOLE EVENT WAS VILE. Why are you attending ANY event with these decrepit, revolting, despicable people? Why are you attending the birthday party for an adjudicated rapist? Did you think that assembling all of these people in one space would lead to anything other than a complete catastrophe?
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.
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- New York City, NY The tech entrepreneur and investor Alexis Ohanian is seen exiting the CBS Mornings show, looking composed and confident. Pictured: Alexis Ohanian BACKGRID USA 17 JULY 2025 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- HOLLYWOOD, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA – NOVEMBER 14: Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. and father/American internet entrepreneur Alexis Ohanian arrive at the 2021 AFI Fest – Closing Night Premiere Of Warner Bros. Pictures’ ‘King Richard’ held at the TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX on November 14, 2021 in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States.,Image: 643219350, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Xavier Collin / Avalon
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- Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian arrive on the red carpet of the 94th Oscars® at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles, CA, on Sunday, March 27, 2022.,Image: 673568726, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Avalon Licensing Ltd. do not claim any Copyright of the attached image WORLD RIGHTS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533, Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red/Avalon/Avalon
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- Hollywood, CA – The 2024 ESPY Awards at The Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California. Pictured: Serena Williams, Olympia, Alexis Ohanian BACKGRID USA 11 JULY 2024 BYLINE MUST READ: Juan Rico / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- New York City, NY The tech entrepreneur and investor Alexis Ohanian is seen exiting the CBS Mornings show, looking composed and confident. Pictured: Alexis Ohanian BACKGRID USA 17 JULY 2025 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- New York, NY Venus and Serena Williams are seen leaving Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez’s Pre-Met Gala celebration in New York alongside their respective partners. Pictured: Serena Williams, Alexis Ohanian BACKGRID USA 2 MAY 2026 BYLINE MUST READ: BlayzenPhotos / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
Rich man doesn’t care about fascism. How utterly shocking!
That part.
Techno-fascists gonna techno-fascist!
From the outside looking in at the cage match: what a horrible debasement of u.s. democracy and the noble purpose of government by the people for the people, what so many generations of Americans have fought for and tended to and cared for. That anyone would choose to participate in the bloodsport on the lawn of the white house says everything about how they view democracy (among many other things).
These techno-fascists all seem very secure that they’re going to come out on top. But looking to other authoritarian States those oligarchs don’t exactly have a long lifespan. The ruler giveth and the ruler taketh away.
He shouldn’t have gone. No excuses. It’s disgusting. Sure hope he’s not surprised by the backlash. He had to know that would happen and I guess he just didn’t care.
Especially when one of his excuses is: “6 years ago I stood up to racism on Reddit!”
Dude you are not beating the allegations with that.
His response might work as PR move had he attended an event at a public venue; we aren’t seeing folks dragging people who attended the Knicks final at Madison Square Gardens. Showing up at the White House is a choice and a look, and no amount of PR speak is going to reverse that.
More of the “people with money don’t think human rights abuses affect them” 1% nonsense. And if Serena stays quiet and doesn’t distance herself and by her silence approves then that applies to her too, Meghan’s friend or not.
Something nice: their little daughter is adorable. And yes, he should never have been there. If I were Serena, I’d be steaming. And I’m sure she is. This sucks so hard for Serena. They have a new daughter too. I have no idea what she’ll say or do, but I imagine that she’s furious AND embarrassed. I wouldn’t even want to be a fly on the wall bc I imagine it will get pretty ugly. I wonder if they’re at the threshold of divorce? Idiot man.
Both daughters are cuties. The little one has the most joyful smile (I follow him on insta and he posts a lot of photos and videos) Very disappointing that he went to this shitshow.
Blah Blah Blah, Mr. Williams.
Serena! Is this your King?!?!
When you are married to a Black woman, you should stay far away from everything MAGA and MAGA coded. That’s even without knowing there will be racist insults directed at the former First Lady. The attempted erasure of Black Americans from American military and civilian life, not to mention our history, ought to enrage any husband of a Black woman. Instead, he’s telling us he puts business deals before her.
When you are married to a woman, have a mom, have a sister, have a daughter, or even know a woman, you should stay away from all things MAGA. But to be married to a woman and the father of daughters who are the most targeted by those vile men makes his attendance especially stomach-churning.
I forgot to mention his daughters. MAGA is against his own flesh and blood. And, yes, all men everywhere should reject this despicable regime but it doesn’t look like that’s happening anytime soon. Or maybe ever.
If you are a human being with even the tiniest sense of empathy decency or conscience who has ever cared even remotely about other human beings, animals or the planet – YOU SHOULD STAY AWAY FROM ALL THINGS MAGA
but especially as you said in his case. He’s pathetic
Both Serena and Venus married fragile ego white men. 😕
@Smart&Messy:
with deep sadness I say, … aren’t most, in the end. 🙁
streets are saying they are no longer together/divorcing. on reddit someone also saw him getting handsy with a younger woman at the Knicks game in delta club last week.
I thought they’ve been separated for over a year! They used to be together all the time, post about each other, and generally act like a happy family.
Then it all just … stopped. She stopped wearing her ring and they seemed to be leading separate lives. I was really surprised to see her with the ring back on and them showing up together recently.
But mostly: Ew. This ridiculous event for THIS vile man? Alexis, no.
Prepare for him to take a hard right turn, like the other men rejected/dumped by their women.
That he even considered it a choice to go at all says everything ..
^ this!
Right. “But they asked me…what could I do?” He was helpless? He couldn’t even plead a scheduling or family conflict like most people would do? No, he wanted to be there and he wanted to mingle with his own. Also, “I tried to do something good in the past, so you know I’m a good guy.” Weak. [Also, let’s assume he quit Reddit because he’d made his money.] She deserves better; their daughters deserve better. We all deserve better.
Right? ‘I was invited’, say ‘no’! Easy! You’re allowed to decline invitations!
Mango literally posted an image of Michelle and Barrack Obama altered to make them both look like monkeys a few months ago and refused to apologize. What mental gymnastics do you have to jump through when you have 2 adorable mixed race daughters with your black wife to justify going to that Rome is burning spectacle? The racism, sexism and LGBT phobias have been on clear display since the dumb fascist’s first campaign. Eat the rich, tax the billionaires out of existence and cancel these dumb f#cks. Serena has been singled out for particularly vile treatment by the R#$$!@n bot armies and magat trash that helped get us here. When people show you who they are, believe them. Just. Ewwweww.
I have our chant when the revolution happens….
EAT THE RICH, PISS ON THEIR GRAVES, SHIT ON THEIR BONES !!!
I like this
Ok I’m just gonna say it: people were hellbent on elevating him to King status simply because he married a Queen but I never, EVER trusted this guy.
I think you may be right.
Ugh.
He’s in tech. That entire sector is MAGA so I’m not surprised he saw nothing wrong with attending the birthday bash. He still has a lot of deconstructing to do.
None of these people care. Serena included; once she started shilling GLP1’s with Oprah I knew she was gone. They’re rich, out of touch, protected, and only care about money and connections. Democracy doesn’t matter to any of them as it won’t impact them. This is bread and circuses.
I hate that celebrities and influencers have replaced genuine politicians and policy experts who genuinely care.
Sadly very true.
I’m glad you wrote about this. I commented yesterday about him being there on the Nate Bargatze post.
Interestingly, I saw a post by a black woman on Instagram who noted that Serena and Venus signed some sort of deal with Elon Musk (!) recently/last year to ensure that their podcast is featured on X. The woman remarked that, given that background, it didn’t surprise her that Serena’s husband went to the vile WH event. She opined that money matters more to some black people–and that “skin folk aren’t always kin folk”–and appeared to include Serena in that group. I don’t know the state of Serena’s marriage to her husband or whether this deal with Elon actually happened, but, if the latter is true, it makes me side-eye her and her sister quite a bit.
@MIMIC the sisters do have a deal to put their podcast on X. They were roasted for it when it came out. Rightfully so. They could’ve gone to any other media company. Issa Rae has a media company. Lemonade, Spotify, Apple…literally any other company. Or start their own.
At this income level, all they see money. They didn’t care what Elon said or did to black women via his anti-DEI DOGE nonsense.
Not surprised the husband was there at the WH.
Rich people put others in 3 categories: labor, consumer, one of their peers. The first group are not considered humans.
Concur. I have side eyed these two for a while since they honestly fight really hard to get in with the rich crowd.
I expected better out of him. I wonder if Serena did, too.
After Venus & Serena made that RECENT 😬 deal with Musk…I no longer care what they do because they have SHOWN that they give NARY AF about folks like me…so him being at that Calvacade of Trash…tracks🤬
I did not realize the Williams sisters had chosen to do business with Musk, when there are so many other ways they could have launched a video podcast. Unbelievable, but then I’m not a rich person, so obviously I just don’t get it 🤮
I also didn’t realize — until I read about it a few minutes ago — that both Venus and Serena Williams consistently refuse to vote in any elections, due to their religion (Jehovah’s Witnesses) completely prohibiting their members ever voting, supporting candidates, and/or taking any action whatsoever to change government. I don’t have words for how incredibly irresponsible I find this stance to be. Like their decision to do business with Musk, it’s an unfathomable choice to me. Knowing all this, I’ve lost considerable respect for them.
Blah blah blah “I own 5 professional sports teams and a league.”
Alexis has 2 black daughters and MAGA is putting out Jim Crow 2.0. They’re gerrymandering to silence black voices. I believe the divorce rumors but what about the world his black daughters have to grow up in? Disgusting.
EXPLAIN WHERE??
WHERE IS THE EXPLANATION, ALEXIS OMAGAIAN??
Unpopular opinion, I’m a Serena super fan and I know everyone’s trying to paint her as some sort of victim here but she’s not. I remember a while back trump iirc said he has her number and calls her frequently. Why does he have her number in the first place? Serena has a bit of a history with shady white male partners (remember the Brett Ratner years). I hate to say it but my sister is complicit, they (she and Alexis) are diehard capitalists and will do anything and everything for a buck.
Honestly if she stays with him they deserve each other .
You think this rich fuck thinks about how an appearance is going to affect his wallet…..no he just wants to rub elbows with other rich people, and I also doubt he cares what his wife would think, or she probably doesn’t even care.
Side-eyeing the lot of ‘em.