Drake Sparks Speculation After Serena Williams’ Super Bowl Cameo with Kendrick Lamar
Drake appears to have thrown subtle shade at Serena Williams following her surprise appearance during Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show.
Shortly after the performance, the Canadian rapper posted a throwback photo on his burner Instagram account, @plottttwistttttt, featuring himself alongside Williams’ longtime agent, Jill Smoller. The image, taken at Wimbledon in 2015, captured Drake supporting Williams during a match, fueling speculation about his intentions behind sharing it.
Fans were quick to react, with many calling out the rapper for his apparent response. “Wow, that’s creepy and weird,” one user commented, while another wrote: “‘Drake is so unbothered’ but was definitely crying after watching the highlights.” Another fan referenced Drake’s ongoing rap feud, adding: “Damn! He responded to a woman with the quickness. Too bad he won’t do the same to the man who’s had his foot on his neck for the past year.”
Williams made her cameo near the end of Lamar’s performance, briefly dancing on an elevated stage as he performed his hit diss track “Not Like Us,” which takes aim at Drake. The 43-year-old, who hails from Compton like Lamar, later faced criticism from some media personalities, including Charlamagne Tha God and Stephen A. Smith.
Her husband, Alexis Ohanian, defended her on social media, pointing out that Williams was criticized for a similar dance at Wimbledon over a decade ago. “Some of y’all have no idea how criticized Serena was for this same dance at Wimbledon 13 years ago and it shows… This is bigger than the music,” he wrote on X.
Williams also addressed her Super Bowl appearance, posting on Instagram that Lamar and his team had reached out to her, referencing her celebratory dance after winning an Olympic gold medal. “I’m like, Super Bowl? Are you serious? When in the world would I ever be able to dance at a Super Bowl? (Never) let’s do it!” she wrote.
Drake and Williams were rumoured to have dated in 2011, with the rapper frequently spotted at her matches. The alleged romance even earned a mention in “Not Like Us,” where Lamar rapped: “I’m glad DeRoz’ came home, y’all didn’t deserve him neither / From Alondra down to Central, n-gga better not speak on Serena.”
