Serena Williams’ husband and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian found himself responding to online speculation over a family photograph. A celebratory New Year’s post featuring a portrait from Venus Williams’ wedding quickly turned into uncomfortable accusations about Serena’s appearance. Ohanian did not let the claims slide.
He pushed back publicly, calling out critics for misunderstanding how lighting works in photography and dismissing what he viewed as baseless and offensive commentary.
Alexis Ohanian Speaks Out After Comments Target Serena Williams
Over the years, Ohanian has regularly posted glimpses of his life as a hands-on father. His recent Instagram upload included a family portrait taken at Venus Williams’ wedding, accompanied by a caption that read, “Late! But Happy New Year!! This shot is from V’s wedding actually, but what a beautiful wedding and let me brag a second about our two perfect little girls AKA elite flower girls.”
While many followers praised the image, the comment section also drew harsh reactions. Several users questioned Serena’s appearance and made unfounded accusations about skin lightening. Comments included remarks such as, “Serena is light skinned now?” “Wow she changed her entire Skin Color! SMH” and “WHO WAS THAT WHITE WOMAN WITH SERENA HUSBAND AND CHILDRENS.”
What Sparked the Online Exchange Between Ohanian and Critics?
The tone of the remarks prompted Ohanian to respond on X. He reshared a different image from the same wedding, showing Williams in lighting that appeared closer to her natural complexion, and addressed the criticism head-on. “Where are all the comments from idiots who don’t understand how photography lighting works,” he wrote.
The exchange continued when one user replied, accusing Ohanian of dismissing legitimate concerns by blaming the lighting. The user wrote, “Alexis wants Black people to believe we don’t know what photography lighting looks like vs blatant skin lightening.”
Ohanian responded firmly, writing, “Or: photos from the same event can look different based on lighting.”
Ohanian and Williams have long attracted public attention due to their openness about family life. The couple met in 2015 and married in a star-studded ceremony in New Orleans in 2017. They share two daughters, Olympia and Adira River.
