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Alexis Ohanian and Serena Williams got married in 2017.

Alexis Ohanian Serena Williams Stephen A. Smith 101025

Alexis Ohanian claps back at Stephen A. Smith over Serena Williams comments originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Alexis Ohanian does not play about his wife.

Stephen A. Smith went viral for commenting on Serena Williams' cameo during the Super Bowl halftime show. Kendrick Lamar headlined the show, and during his performance of "Not Like Us," -- the five-time Grammy-winning hit aimed at Drake during their rap feud in 2024 -- had its moment on stage, Williams made her cameo and c-walked across the stage. What made the tennis icon get backlash from social media and the sports broadcaster was that she dated Drake from 2011 to 2015, which a lot of people think her cameo was retribution for their past flame.

"If I'm married and my wife is going to join trolling her ex, go back to his ass. 'Cause clearly you don't belong with me. What you worried about him for, and you're with me? Bye. Bye," Smith said on First Take.

Ohanian clapped back at Smith when he made an appearance on First Take this week.

"Stephen A., I think you had some marriage advice for me," Ohanian teased. "Headlines are headlines. We can get into that another time."

The Reddit co-founder added, "I was hoping you were going to be here," before Smith admitted, "Marriage advice? No, I'm not qualified."

Williams' husband then politely smiled as before he went in telling Smith he shouldn't be giving him adavice on being married when he never has been.

"I was gonna ask, cause, you hadn’t been married before, right? Cause I give advice to plenty of founders who want to build billion-dollar companies. And the reason I do that is because I build billion-dollar companies, so I generally try to stay in my lane."

"You hadn’t been married before, right? Cause I give advice to plenty of founders who want to build billion-dollar companies. And the reason I do that is because I build billion-dollar companies." – Alexis Ohanian just checked Stephen A. Smith https://t.co/YghAXHoMrR pic.twitter.com/lks6l9zPEI
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 9, 2025

Serena Williams reacts to Super Bowl halftime backlash

While it's always great to get defended by your husband, Williams also cleared up rumors that she was being petty at Ohanian's expense. The 23-time Grand Slam champion was named Time's 100 Most Influential People of 2025, where she clarified if her cameo at the Super Bowl had anything to do with her ex.

"Absolutely not," she said, speaking with Time. "I would never do that."

She added that while she understood why people would come to that conclusion, it simply was not true, and she saw it as an opportunity to work with Kendrick finally.

"Obviously I can see how someone would think that. But absolutely not," she said. "I have never had negative feelings towards him. We've known him for so many years."