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Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian Hosted a Mini Olympics From Their Home


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 ???.”

The Tokyo Olympics may be postponed until July 2021, but let’s hope the competition at Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian’s house is just getting started.



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Serena Williams Is Here With Some Monday Motivation for Stressed-Out Moms


Serena Williams has never been shy about the pressures of being a working mother.

In 2017, Williams and her husband, Alexis Ohanian, welcomed their daughter, Alexis Olympia, into the world. Almost immediately Williams became the poster woman for the trials and tribulations working mothers face after she was dropped in the rankings from No. 1 to No. 453. All simply because she had a baby.

However, Williams quickly found herself on top again. In January of this year, she even won the ASB Classic in New Zealand, marking her first tennis title since becoming a mother.

But, on Friday, she took to Instagram to share a snapshot of her and her daughter and to make it very clear that having it all, all the time is an impossible standard to hold yourself to, even for someone like her.

“I am not sure who took this picture but working and being a mom is not easy,” Williams wrote alongside an image of her and daughter in an embrace. “I am often exhausted, stressed, and then I go play a professional tennis match. We keep going. I am so proud and inspired by the women who do it day in and day out. I’m proud to be this baby’s mama.”

Beyond reminding everyone that being a mother, in general, isn’t easy, Williams has also made it known in the past that you don’t have to be perfect as a parent at all times either.

“…no matter what I’ve heard, and no matter how many times people have told me, ‘You don’t have to be perfect,’ and I say, ‘I know that,’ every time [I still feel I] have to be perfect,” Williams shared in an interview with Glamour. “It’s just what us moms do, which makes me respect moms so much. My mom, and all the women out there who have done it before, I’m just like, ‘Wow, you guys are amazing.'”

Just a few weeks ago, she told Vogue editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour, in an interview, “After having a child, my heroes are moms because women are superheroes. To have a baby and then have to go to work two or three weeks later or work a nine to five … I’m fortunate to not have to do that.”

Williams added, “I’m at a loss for words when I think of women who work day in and day out, providing for their families, when I know how hard it is for me to leave my daughter. I never felt that way until I became a mom. I think women need to be recognized.”

Amen. Now, go call your own mother ASAP.



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Serena Williams And Secret Are Launching A Study on Gender Inequality in Sports


There’s scarcely a woman on earth who isn’t impacted by the fight for gender equality—but no where does that fight feel so visceral than in the world of sports. A world where Megan Rapinoe and the USWNT can dominate on the global stage and then come home to fraction of the pay their (less-qualified) male counterparts have up for grabs. And where top-of-their-game champions can lose their jobs just for getting pregnant. And where Serena Williams can work harder and longer than her male colleagues can still be asked to prove herself—over and over and over.

“Just because I am a woman doesn’t mean I deserve less—I work just as hard,” says Williams. “I’ve given up so much in my life and I’ve sacrificed so much. Why do I have to get paid less? I feel like women in sports are fighting with that right now.”

They definitely are. From the ongoing high-profile lawsuit filed by the U.S. Women’s National Soccer team to the historic equal pay deal just won by the women of the WNBA, female athletes have become the face of the gender gap.

But it isn’t just about the money. Equal pay is a nuanced issue that touches everything from amateur training conditions to the lack of maternity leave protections for female athletes. Entire systems have to change.

Williams, the athlete, advocate and force behind the multi-million dollar Serena Williams brand, wants to change them. So today, she and Secret Deodorant announced that they are teaming up to move the needle, pledging $1 million to supporting gender equality in sports.

The first step is calling out inequalities—relentlessly—to change things for this generation and the next. “I use my voice because I know if I keep talking, someone is going to eventually hear,” says Williams. “Maybe not today, but maybe for my daughter. Now that I have a daughter, it’s even more important. You just have to keep using your voice to change it for the next person.”

Next comes getting those who can to put their money where their mouth is. “I feel so much hope that these conversations are happening,” says Sara Saunders, associate brand director for Secret Deodorant. “But we’re trying to push to make sure those conversations result in action because talking about it doesn’t necessarily help us solve the issue.”

To that end, Secret and Williams are launching a study on gender inequality in sports. By surveying high school athletes, college players and professional athletes, the study will pinpoint three to four areas where Secret and Williams can deploy cash to make a real difference.

Secret has already shown what that can look like. “After we heard the chanting at the World Cup game, we realized that we needed to step up and do even more,” Saunders said. After that, the brand made a $529,000 donation to the United States Women’s National Team Players’ Association to close the gender pay gap in soccer and purchased over 9,000 tickets to National Women’s Soccer League games to help women’s teams get more visibility. In 2020, they hope to make that impact even bigger for the women and girls facing down the gender gap every day.

For Williams, that means bringing as many players into the conversation as possible—including men. “I feel like what people don’t realize is that we need men to use their voice as much as women. You are not going to get equal anything if men aren’t helping and vice versa,” she says. “A group singing is louder than a solo singer. It’s important to have a group get together and to sing.”

Macaela MacKenzie is a senior editor at Glamour.



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Serena Williams Celebrates Two-Year Wedding Anniversary to Alexis Ohanian With Sweet Instagram Posts


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.

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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.



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Serena Williams Opens Up About How Meghan Markle Is ‘Always There’ for Her


Serena Williams has said it once and now she’s saying it again: Meghan Markle is a great friend. The tennis champion opened up about their close-knit bond in a recent interview, sharing how Markle has flown across the world to support her during matches because she’s “always there.”

Serena Williams recently appeared on Access Hollywood and said Markle is “the strongest—literally the strongest —person I know, and the nicest, sweetest.” She also spoke about how much Markle’s efforts to show up at important events have meant to her; If you remember, Markle flew to the U.S. Open this fall to cheer Williams on during a critical match. “She flew all the way with a newborn to see me play in New York and flew all the way back that night, and I probably couldn’t have done that,” Williams said. Several detractors criticized Markle at the time for allegedly leaving baby Archie in London to take the trip, so Williams statements also worked to shut down those mom-shamers.

“It just kind of goes to show you what an amazing person that she is, and that’s just one of the many things that she does for me,” Williams continued. “I call her, text her anytime, crying, upset — she’s always there. Doesn’t matter what she’s going through, she just sets time away, and she’s just so amazing.”

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The friendship clearly goes both ways as they are often spotted catching up between royal duties or tennis championships. Williams of course was one of the high-profile guests at the royal wedding in 2018, and later, when Markle announced she was pregnant, Williams took on baby shower-planning duties. She organized a stunning party for her friend in New York City, saying that the celebration took “a lot of effort” but that she was determined to make it absolutely perfect for Markle. Spoken like a true BFF.



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Serena Williams Is Speaking Out About Financial Abuse During Domestic Violence Awareness Month


Perhaps you’ve heard that one in four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime. It’s a staggering statistic. Here’s the part you probably don’t know: 99% of those cases will involve some form of financial abuse.

Serena Williams wants to do something about that. In honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Williams has partnered for the third time with the Allstate Foundation’s Purple Purse initiative to raise awareness around the rampant problem of financial abuse in relationships. “She is the embodiment of women’s empowerment,” Allstate Foundation senior program officer Ellen Lisak says. “We’ve been so grateful she has brought her influential voice and platform to our program to help elevate a national conversation around these issues that are so unknown to so many people.”

“When I signed up three years, I was really shocked by the statistics,” Williams told Glamour. “It’s basically every single case [of domestic violence]. When you think about that way, it’s like how did I not know about it? What can I do to bring my voice to it and talk about it?”

“I hope that people can learn the common signs of financial abuse and that if people are victims they know that there are resources like PurplePurse.com out there to help,” she continues. “I want people to know about the horrors of financial abuse.” Through her partnership with Allstate and Purple Purse, she’s had the opportunity to talk with survivors, something that has been very meaningful to her. “I feel really lucky to be among such powerful women,” she says. “It’s important for me to use my voice to support them and help tell their stories. Together, we can help other women.”

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“Victims of domestic violence are often asked, ‘Why don’t you just leave?’ and what we found is that financial abuse is one of the reasons. We found that domestic violence happens to one in four women, regardless of race or socioeconomic status and 99% of those cases also involve financial abuse,” Lisak tells Glamour. “It’s is one of the main reasons that victims remain in or return to an abusive relationship.”

“It can take on many forms, depending on the situation, but some examples include when an abuser prevents a victim from working, or they really limit their access to money or credit cards, or they even intentionally ruin their credit,” she continues. “If you have bad credit you can’t get an apartment. If you’re not working, you’re not bringing in income and you’re kind of stuck in this vicious cycle.”



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