Serena Williams Speaks On Alexis Ohanian Resignation

“He doesn’t listen to me, ever”

Source: Jim Spellman / Getty

After Alexis Ohanian stepped down from Reddit, the greatest athlete in the world spoke out on his decision. Serena Williams backed her husband this weekend during an intimate sitdown between the two that streamed live on Instagram.

During the chat, Alexis spoke on his decision to not only step down from the company he co-founded but to implore that a black candidate take his place. He also donated $1 million to Colin Kaepernick’s “Know Your Rights” Camp and admitted that he and Serena’s 2-year-old daughter Alexis Olympia influenced his decision.

Somehow rumors started that Serena actually “forced” her white husband to make the decision. Untrue, said the tennis champ during the 30-minute chat.

“This is all Alexis, which is really cool. A lot of people might think I told you to do something, or I forced you — ” said Serena as reported PEOPLE. “He doesn’t listen to me, ever.”

Alexis agreed and once again reiterated that he wanted to make a change for their baby girl.

“I thought about what those dollars could do for a community that has clearly suffered for far too long, and that I with my power and my influence and my privilege want to do something meaningful to start to show a change. To make a better world for Olympia,” said Aleixs.

[…]

“I wanted to put as much weight behind the gesture as I could because I felt I owed it to you and I owed it to her,” he said.

“One of the things that really broke me at some point in the last week, I was looking at Olympia, she’s 2½ now, and she is such a pure, just blank canvas,” he continued. “She only knows love. There is not an ounce of hate in her body.”

“That’s the crushing thing. At some point, Olympia is going to have to have a talk with you, a talk with us, but especially a talk with you, about how she’s going to have to work that much harder, how she’s going to have to deal with this much more, that pisses me off.”

Source: Jocko Graves / BFA

He also emphasized the need for diversity and noted that as a white man he’s never felt uncomfortable in a room with billionaire execs. Meanwhile, Serena said that even though she’s a black celebrity and an internationally renowned athlete, she’s absolutely felt the effects of racism.

“It’s sad that someone on my level has had to accept being paid less [and] accept so many different things because of the color of my skin,” she added. “I think I’d be very angry, very spiteful, very jealous if I didn’t have this spiritual background.”

You can catch their entire convo below.

Kudos to Alexis Ohanian.