Serena Williams and her husband, Alexis Ohanian, have found a fantastic way to keep themselves (and us!) entertained as they isolate at home during the coronavirus pandemic.
With athletic events on hold for the foreseeable future, Williams appears to have found a great outlet for her fiercely competitive nature: a toy gymnastics set where you can simulate rotations on a horizontal bar and try to stick the dismount. The couple uploaded a video of themselves playing with it, which was made even better by the “Chariots of Fire” theme music playing in the background and Ohanian’s brilliant Olympics-style commentary.
As Williams pushes the button that makes the plastic figure spin around the bars, we hear Ohanian whisper-talking, in that perfect sportscaster way, comments like “The U.S. Olympic team has really fallen off since Simone Biles left and was replaced by this,” and “Quite the terrible dismount, probably broke a few bones on that,” as Williams’s toy fails to stick the landing.
But then…VICTORY! Just as Ohanian calls the performance “amateurish,” the GOAT gets it done, and they both go crazy cheering, as daughter Olympia looks on in the background. “Accomplished a lot with @serenawilliams this weekend… @simonebiles please help her,” he wrote in the Instagram caption.
Reader: I cheered too—and wished I had that toy in my apartment. As a huge sports fan, I’ve definitely missed watching games and matches on TV—and this little moment briefly filled the void. Also, how unsurprising is it that it didn’t take Williams long to completely dominate a toy sport? She is truly the best. I was not alone, as people chimed in with comments like, “I needed this during quarantine,” and, “LMAO what am I watching and why can’t I stop. Riveting ???.”
Somewhere on location in Bosnia, Moira Rose is shaking in her pajama vest.
On January 30, Annie Murphy had the audacité to appear on The Kelly Clarkson Show and perform the Schitt’s Creek classic “A Little Bit Alexis” in front of a live studio audience and the Serious Actors™ of the Oscar-nominated film 1917. You know, the song her character, Alexis Rose, used to audition for her mother’s local production of Cabaret in season five.
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For the uninitiated, Schitt’s Creek (created by father-son duo Eugene and Dan Levy) follows a formerly wealthy family who lose everything and are forced to live in a ramshackle motel in a town they bought as a joke. What sounds like a pretty surface comedy has pierced the hearts of viewers who have watched the Rose family bond and grow through their misfortune.
The one thing that hasn’t changed is Alexis’s lack of self-awareness, and thank God (aka Dan Levy) for that. Doubly, thank Clarkson for reviving the instant classic on her show, with her own Texas spin.
Watch for yourself, below:
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Here are the lyrics of this remix, in case you want to sing along:
It’s been two years since Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian tied the knot in a gorgeous New Orleans wedding attended by everyone from Kim Kardashian to Beyoncé. This week, they celebrated their anniversary with a bunch of super sweet, gushy Instagram posts that illustrated how tight-knit their bond is. But they also added one very unexpected and relatable twist to the festivities: They took a trip to Popeyes to try the highly-coveted new chicken sandwich, solidifying their place as one of our favorite couples ever.
Williams uploaded a cute, never-before-seen shot of the two of them on their wedding day, writing, “2 years and counting…. @alexisohanian is still putting putting up with me.” Later, she added a photo slideshow that chronicles their moments dating and becoming parents together, setting it to music and writing in the caption, “2 years and counting happy anniversary my love.”
But it was on her Instagram stories that Williams revealed their fast-food anniversary journey. “I did not want to try it,” she joked in one slide. “But it’s my anniversary … This is a no judgement me zone.” She then shared a video of Ohanian walking toward her car with a bag of Popeyes in his hand, explaining to her that the chain had the sandwich but they had run out of pickles. The next few clips features Williams saying, “Oh my God,” as she enjoyed the sandwich. Ohanian asks her how it is a few times before Williams finally cracks, “Have I known life before this day?” This is pretty much the wedding anniversary of our dreams.
Serena Williams uploads a video of Alexis Ohanian going to Popeyes.
Instagram
Ohanian also celebrated their big day on social media by sharing a photo of the couple posing near a decorated swing. “Celebrating 2 years with my ride or die @serenawilliams ? always ready for the next black tie event … Or Netflix & Chill night in,” he captioned the image.
The Reddit co-founder previously wrote about the success of their marriage for Glamour, explaining that for him, the most important lesson is that “you have to show up” for the person that you love. Pretty sure it makes things even better when you show up—and bring a Popeyes sandwich with you.
Glamour asked me to talk about “going big” when it comes to romance. I’ve done a few things that you may have seen on social media—things that have gotten me plenty of teasing from my friends, as well as other husbands on the Internet who’ve said I’m making them look bad. It started when I put up some billboards for my wife, aka the “GMOAT” (greatest mom of all time), to celebrate her first tournament after having our daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. I made a video showcasing her journey returning to tennis around the U.S. Open. And then there was that trip to Italy—she had a craving, so I delivered her to Venezia.
I get it; these are pretty extravagant gestures. But I think if you were to ask my wife, or many other people in relationships, it’s often the simpler things that are the most important. You have to show up. You have to be supportive. These are the things that matter.
I credit my parents with a lot of what I’ve learned about partnership and relationships. My father, who’s Armenian, and my mother, who came from what was then West Germany, met in Ireland and spent a whirlwind two weeks together. Even though my dad didn’t speak any German and my mom only spoke basic English, they fell in love. She followed my father to America and worked as an au pair, ultimately overstaying her visa, and actually living in the U.S. undocumented for a while until they got married. My mom had to hit reset on her whole life. In Germany, she was almost credentialed to be a pharmacist. Here in the U.S., she had to start over and get her GED while working a ton of service and restaurant jobs. Then she opted to work nights as a pharmacy technician—not a pharmacist—just so she’d be able to be around when I came home from school. Meanwhile, my father logged long hours to put food on the table and give us the best life he possibly could.
It wasn’t always easy, but my parents were partners in the truest sense. By watching them up close, I learned what it means to be supportive, how to make compromises without sacrificing yourself, and how to show up in the ways that matter. Whether it was being proud parents at my football games, or organizing family road-trips for weekend getaways to Civil War battlefields or antiquing (the former was my dad’s favorite, the latter my mom’s; at the time I found them boring, but appreciate those memories now). In short, I got the cheat code for partnership early on.
When Alexis Ohanian and Serena Williams took a selfie during a trip to Italy, Ohanian posted the picture to Instagram with the caption, “she wanted Italian for dinner, so…” The photo went viral, and helped earn him his reputation for “going big” when it comes to romance.
Courtesy of Alexis Ohanian
When you’re married to the GOAT, the logistics alone can make the act of physically “showing up” a challenge. Serena’s tennis schedule takes her all over the world, and my career also requires being on the road, whether it’s traveling to meet with founders, speaking at industry events, or spending time at my venture capital firm, Initialized’s home office in San Francisco. Comparing calendars isn’t romantic, but at the start of every year, Serena and I map out our schedules so ideally there isn’t more than a week that we go without seeing each other. I brought Google Calendar into her world so we could see each other’s schedules at any time, which would also make it easier to plan an impromptu call if we’re away from each other—a day without FaceTime is rough when you’ve been away from each other for two weeks.
My understanding of showing up and being present for my wife was taken to a whole new level when Olympia was born. I was able to take 16 weeks of paid leave from Reddit, and it was one of the most important decisions I’ve made. It helped that I was a founder and didn’t have to worry about what people might say about my “commitment” to the company, but it was incredible to be able to spend quality time with Olympia. And it was perhaps even more meaningful to be there for my wife and to adjust to this new life we created together—especially after all the complications she had during and after the birth. There is a lot of research about the benefits of taking leave, not only for the cognitive and emotional development of the child, but for the couple. However, many fathers in this country are not afforded the privilege of parental leave. And even when they are, there is often a stigma that prevents them from doing so. I see taking leave as one of the most fundamental ways to “show up” for your partner and your family, and I cherished all 16 weeks I was able to take.
Since I came back from leave, I’m less “full-time dad” and more what I like to call “business dad.” When Serena has an intense day of training or a photo shoot, I’ll spend the day with Olympia. I’m fortunate to be my own boss, which comes with the freedoms of doing things like bringing my daughter into the office, or working remotely from virtually anywhere Serena competes. My partners at Initialized are used to seeing Olympia jump on camera—along with Qai Qai—or hearing her babbling on a call. I tell them with pride, “Olympia’s at work today!” And I’ll post some photos on Instagram or Twitter so my followers can see it, too.
The more we normalize this—on social media and in real life—the better, because I know this kind of dynamic makes a lot of men uncomfortable (and selfishly I want Olympia to hear me talking about startups!). Research shows that men are happy to have successful wives—until it interferes with their own work. A full 50 percent of men expect their careers to take precedence over their wives’. I know this is real, because I’ve seen the tweets and comments about how being less successful (or doing what is traditionally considered “women’s work” and caring for your kids) can be “emasculating.” To me, that says more about the guy than anything else. If you need to make more money than your partner to have confidence, then I think there’s something more going on under the hood. If that’s where your swagger’s gotta come from, then it’s probably not real.
I know I’ve been successful in my career, but I’m not the one racking up the trophies. It helps that my wife and I both know what it takes to be successful and bring that mutual understanding, drive and relentlessness to the table. But at the end of the day sometimes her career really does have to come first. I try to be the most supportive partner I can be and to have conversations with her about her career goals and what she can do to reach them. Most of my talks with Serena about her career have come from a place of, “What do you want to be doing?” or “Where do you want to be?” and that’s not only in sport, but in life. She does the same with me. I’m far from perfect, but I try to get behind her and let her know I’m there for her and our daughter, no matter what.
“We’re raising what I hope will be an overachieving and strong daughter,” Ohanian says. “I’m excited to teach Olympia so many things, to have uncomfortable conversations with future boyfriends (I can’t wait for those). But most of all I hope she learns from what she sees between us—how I treat her mother, how we support each other. I hope that will be her blueprint.”
Courtesy of Alexis Ohanian
While I don’t have anything extravagant planned at the moment (or if I did, I wouldn’t tell you!), I will always try to show my wife how much I appreciate and support her. As an entrepreneur, one of my big mantras is to surprise and delight. I guess I’ve applied that in some way to romance, and if I can think of a way to top myself, I’ll keep pulling out the stops.
But the real scoop on “going big” for my wife would never go viral—it’s our simple Sunday tradition. Growing up, my dad would make pancakes every Sunday. They were delicious, but it wasn’t just about the food. It was about being together. So on Sunday mornings, I make breakfast for the family and it doesn’t cost me a thing, except for gluten-free flour (I had to modify Dad’s recipe a bit), some eggs, almond milk, a secret ingredient, and berries (Olympia loves raspberries). There are no phones, just conversation. And we’ll spend the day together lounging around the house, or playing hide-and-seek, or going for a swim in the pool. Just being a family on those days means so much to both of us—more than a billboard, a video montage, or a whirlwind trip to Italy. And before you ask: No, I won’t tell you my pancake recipe.
Alexis Ohanian is the co-founder and managing partner of Initialized Capital, an early stage venture firm based in San Francisco with over 100 companies in its portfolio, with over $22B in market value, and $508 million in committed capital under management. He’s also the co-founder of Reddit.
If you’re a woman, you’re already familiar with the double standards applied to us when it comes to expressing emotions. If you’re a woman of color, you know it’s even more egregious.
Alexis Ohanian, Reddit co-founder and husband to Serena Williams, called out that double standard in a Twitter thread, while also proving yet again that he wins at being the most supportive husband ever. Ohanian first responded to a tweet from Deborah Barros that said, “Funny how a black female tennis player is held to a higher standard to keep her emotions in check than a Supreme Court nominee.”
His comment was short and to the point, “It’s not funny, it’s bullshit.” (Williams, of course, was very publicly criticized by some for showing frustration over a number of questionable calls during her U.S. Open finals match against Naomi Osaka last month.)
But he wasn’t quite finished making his point and proceeded to get specific about the behaviors exhibited by Brett Kavanaugh in his testimony surrounding the sexual assault allegations made against him by Christine Blasey Ford. “Played the ‘father card’,” Ohanian continued. “Cried & screamed + Insulted everyone’s intelligence with lies about the definitions of phrases anyone with Google could debunk + Argued hysterically with sitting Senators, even going so far as to threaten them.”
“If you’re going to be a Supreme Court Justice — a job that requires maintaining sober judgement, it shouldn’t matter what questions you have to answer in your job interview, you keep it together.”
Kavanaugh did indeed cry, yell, and take a fairly menacing approach to being questioned on certain topics. So much so that he (or perhaps the GOP) felt something of a public mea culpa was necessary before the final vote in a Wall Street Journal op-ed.
“I was very emotional last Thursday, more so than I have ever been. I might have been too emotional at times,” he wrote. “I know that my tone was sharp, and I said a few things I should not have said. I hope everyone can understand that I was there as a son, husband and dad. I testified with five people foremost in my mind: my mom, my dad, my wife, and most of all my daughters.”
These are the kind of arguments that society-at-large considers valid for men—not so much for women. Good on Ohanian for calling it out!
When Serena Williams is playing a tennis match, most people are paying attention to the actual game. This week, however, several Twitter users took an interest in the athlete’s impeccably laid edges. Perhaps assuming (and rightly so!) that Williams might be reluctant to share the secret to keeping her hair in place, a few of these tweeters instead enlisted her husband, Alexis Ohanian, to get the intel—a task he eagerly took on.
It all began when one person asked Ohanian to peek at Williams’ side of the bathroom to find the edge control product she uses. Almost immediately, several other people jumped in to second that request, with one begging for the surely magical product that keeps Williams’ baby hairs in place through “over two hours of sweat, humidity, toweling” per match. Another added that Williams is their “edge inspiration.” Ohanian, maybe a little less than confident in his ability to identify the edge control product in question, decided to come right out and ask his wife about it, and he shared their text correspondence on Twitter.
Though Williams seemed initially surprised about her husband’s sudden interest in her hair, once he explained that it was for the good people of Twitter, she admitted that she’d recently discovered a new gel. Sadly, that’s all she’d give away, since, when Ohanian asked for the name of this miracle gel, she coyly replied, “Serena’s secret.” Alas, the Twitterverse might have to wait a bit longer for Williams to decide to reveal the name of her gel.
This isn’t even the first time this week that the Reddit cofounder has endeared himself to his superstar wife’s fans on Twitter. On Wednesday (September 19) when someone asked whether Ohanian cared about often being referred to as “Serena Williams’s husband,” he replied, “I don’t mind at all. Only a few hundred million people use @reddit every month and only a small percentage of them know who I am. (Far, far more people have cheered for my wife; specifically, for the last two decades.) Just math.” He graciously added, “[My] contribution to the world—let alone recognition—isn’t close to comparable to what my wife has done and will continue to do. It’s pretty liberating, really.” Everyone else, take note!
