She’s shaking it off.
Serena Williams has revealed the reason she had intentionally kept her distance from her longtime pal Taylor Swift at the Super Bowl in February.
The tennis legend, who had a brief cameo in Kendrick Lamar’s halftime show, and her husband, entrepreneur Alexis Ohanian, initially brought their daughter Olympia near the pop sensation’s suite to get an autograph.
But the trio’s mission stalled as they approached the 14-time Grammy winner’s VIP box.
Williams, 43, said she began to re-think approaching the “Cruel Summer” singer at the match-up, which saw her boyfriend Travis Kelce’s Kansas City Chiefs team lose 40-22 to the Philadelphia Eagles.
The 23-time Grand Slam winner told Time Magazine that she felt it was best to give Swift some space at the football game, especially as she had been subject to nasty boos from Birds fans.
“I’m such a mom,” Williams told the outlet. “I was ready to go in here myself and be like, ‘Taylor, come get this girl.’”
Still, the former athlete decided it was best to have her kid get an autograph from the “Fortnight” singer on a different occasion.
“It’s hard when your team is losing,” Williams said. “I totally get it.”
“My husband and I, we’re so in a different space. We’re so connected, we’re so in love, we’re just, like, trying to get our daughter Taylor Swift autographs. And nothing else,” she added.
Even though the sports icon didn’t get to see her friend in person at the Super Bowl, she didn’t shy away from defending the musician after fans at the game booed her.
After Swift received a frosty reception on the Jumbotron, Williams wrote, “I love you @taylorswift13 dont listen to those booo!!”
The record-breaking artist has been supporting Kelce at Chiefs games ever since they kickstarted their romance in 2023.
The tennis legend, for her part, has been close friends with Swift, 35, for over a decade. Though both superstars made headlines for separate reasons at the Super Bowl.
During the halftime extravaganza, Williams made a brief cameo by dancing during K-Dot’s track, “Not Like Us” — allegedly about her ex-boyfriend Drake.
ESPN host Stephen A. Smith slammed Williams for her dance and claimed, “If I’m married and my wife is going to join trolling her ex, go back to his a–.”
Williams has since denied that she was trying to disrespect her ex flame.
“I would never do that,” Williams told Time. “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 added.
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