Alexis Ohanian isn’t here for any disrespect toward his wife, and he made that crystal clear when ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith tried to come for Serena Williams over her Super Bowl cameo.
It all went down when Serena hit the stage during the Super Bowl LIX halftime show, joining Kendrick Lamar as he performed his now-iconic track Not Like Us.
In true Serena fashion, she brought some flavor to the moment with a quick crip walk—an unapologetic nod to her Compton roots. But the internet? Split. Some folks praised her boldness, while others clutched their pearls over the song’s supposed shade at her ex, Drake.
Stephen A. had smoke for Serena on air, even saying that if he were married to her, he’d consider divorce over the performance. That take didn’t sit right with Alexis, who publicly stood by his wife at the time—and just recently, he got the chance to address Stephen A. directly.
During a segment on First Take, Ohanian stepped up. Smith tried to play it like he never gave “marriage advice,” but Alexis wasn’t letting that slide. With the calm of a man who’s both rich and unbothered, he fired back:
“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.”
Mic. Dropped.
That moment went viral instantly, reigniting the convo around Serena’s halftime dance. While critics kept pointing to the Drake angle, Serena made it clear there was zero shade involved.
“Absolutely not… I would never do that [throw shade at Drake]. And that was sad, that anyone would ever think that. I respect how they could. Obviously I can see how someone would think that. But absolutely not. I have never had negative feelings towards him. We’ve known him for so many years,” she told TIME.
As for Stephen A.’s opinion? Serena brushed it off like lint on a designer fit, calling his take “hilarious.”
In the end, Serena’s still the GOAT, Kendrick’s still running laps with Not Like Us, and Alexis Ohanian just reminded the world why you don’t play with a man who’s got both Wi-Fi and a wedding ring.