Alexis Ohanian Confronts Stephen A. Smith Over Serena Williams Comment

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Alexis Ohanian aced his comeback to Stephen A. Smith.

Following comments made months ago on *First Take* about Serena Williams’ appearance in the Super Bowl Halftime Show – where Stephen A. Smith jokingly said he’d divorce her – Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian also shared his opinion on the matter.

Alexis, who has two daughters – 7-year-old Olympia and 2-year-old Adira – with Serena Williams, jokingly reminded Stephen A. Smith that he’d previously offered her marriage advice. She brought it up during her October 9th appearance on ESPN’s *First Take*, asking him, “Is that right?”

Stephen—who appeared virtually—quickly clarified that he wasn’t trying to dish it out.

“I wasn’t involved,” Stephen stated. “You’ve seen the news. We can discuss the details later.” He also clarified, “I didn’t endorse my brother.”

Alexis, who has been married to Serena since 2017, explained why he disagreed with Stephen’s advice.

Alexis asked if he hadn’t been married before. She explained that she often advises startup founders aiming for billion-dollar companies, and she does so because she has experience building those types of companies herself, preferring to focus on what she knows best.

In response, Stephen agreed, saying, “That’s right,” as his cohost wrapped up their segment.

The incident involving Alexis happened eight months after sports commentator Stephen criticized Serena Williams for standing with Kendrick Lamar during his performance of the diss track “Not Like Us” – aimed at Drake – at the Super Bowl.

Stephen wondered what a husband would think seeing his wife playfully antagonizing her ex online. He imagined thinking, ‘If I were married to her, and she was spending time bothering her ex, it would be clear she still has feelings for him and doesn’t belong with me. Why would she be focused on him when she’s with me?’

Stephen responded to online criticism by defending his comments, explaining he was simply sharing a male point of view.

He posted on X (formerly Twitter) on February 11th, saying they were just kidding around on the show First Take and that people were overreacting. He wrote, “Damn y’all! It’s not that serious.”

For his part, Alexis has no issues with his wife’s performance, in fact, it was all praise.

Alexis Ohanian pointed out on X (formerly Twitter) that Serena Williams faced criticism for performing the same dance at Wimbledon 13 years ago, highlighting that the current reaction goes beyond just the music being played.

For more celebrity feuds, keep reading…

In January 2024, Bobby addressed speculation about a disagreement with Tan, following his announcement in November 2023 that he was leaving *Queer Eye* after eight seasons. (Bobby is pictured second from left.)

He told *Vanity Fair* that he and Tan are doing okay. He explained they had a private issue between them, unrelated to the show, and wanted to make it clear it wasn’t a romantic matter – it was a personal issue that had been building up over time.

Okay, so this whole thing has been driving me crazy! Apparently, back in March 2024, Tan had to address these rumors that he was trying to get Jeremiah Brent on *Queer Eye* instead of Bobby! Can you believe it? People were saying he was actively campaigning to replace him! It’s just…ugh. I was so worried about Bobby and the Fab Five, and Tan had to clear things up, which was a relief, but still! The thought of anything happening to the original lineup is just…heartbreaking.

Netflix and the production team held extensive auditions for the role. I didn’t recommend my friend for the part, but they ultimately got it because they were the most qualified. I also want to clarify that I didn’t help them get the job by having anyone else removed from consideration, as he explained on Instagram.

After years of speculation about a disagreement, Holly Marie Combs, Shannen Doherty’s former co-star on *Charmed*, revealed in a December 2023 podcast episode that Alyssa Milano supposedly gave a show producer an ultimatum: choose her or Shannen. Combs claims this led to Shannen’s departure from the show in 2001.

In February 2024, Alyssa posted on Instagram stating she couldn’t get anyone fired and that stories about past events were likely inaccurate due to the passage of time.

You know, I was at MegaCon Orlando recently, and someone asked about some stories surrounding our work. I wanted to be clear: from my perspective, and what I know to be true, the core of what we created hasn’t been altered or rewritten. We told an honest story, and that remains the case.

Shannen passed away in July 2024 after a yearslong battle with cancer.

In September 2023, while playing a game called Stir the Pot with her daughter Kelly Osbourne on TopMob News, Sharon said the That ’70s Show alum was the rudest celebrity she had ever met, branding him, a “rude, rude, rude, rude little boy” and a “dastardly little thing.”

He did not respond to her remarks publicly.

Five years ago, Sharon shared with Larry King that Ashton seemed annoyed when he was a guest on *The Talk* in 2014, after she mispronounced his name.

She remembered him asking, ‘Who are you and what have you accomplished in this field?’ She responded sharply, telling him, ‘Don’t underestimate me, because I will completely overwhelm you.’ She added, ‘You have no idea who you’re talking to.’

In August 2022, Cassadee Pope and Maren Morris clashed with Brittany Aldean, the wife of country singer Jason Aldean, after Brittany posted a video on Instagram. In the video, posted on August 23rd, Brittany thanked her parents for not allowing her to transition genders during a phase where she preferred traditionally masculine interests, adding that she now enjoys a feminine lifestyle.

In a 2022 TikTok trend, JoJo Siwa called Candace Cameron Bure the “rudest” celebrity she’d met, explaining that Bure once turned down her request for a photo on the red carpet. Shortly after, Candace Cameron Bure apologized, saying she regretted hurting JoJo’s feelings when she was eleven and that she was truly sorry for not taking the picture.

Candace and the other person resolved their differences. However, when asked months later if her network, Great American Family, would ever feature same-sex couples as the main characters in its holiday movies, she stated that it wouldn’t, explaining that the network will continue to focus on traditional marriage.

JoJo, who publicly shared they are part of the LGBTQ+ community in 2021, responded to the actress’ comment on Instagram, calling it “rude and hurtful to the entire LGBTQ+ community.”

In June 2021, Courtney Love claimed that Olivia Rodrigo had copied the album cover art of her band, Hole, for a promotional photo without providing credit. Olivia responded with a simple, “Love u and live through this sooooo much.” Courtney then playfully replied, “Olivia – you’re welcome. My favorite florist is in Notting Hill, London! DM me for details! I look forward to reading your note [winking face emoji].”

While on *Watch What Happens Live*, the *Happy Days* actor explained the reason for his difficult relationship with the *Forrest Gump* star while filming the 1989 movie *Turner & Hooch*.

I directed the movie for thirteen days, and then Jeff Katzenberg, the producer, told me to go home – that I had everything I needed, he said.

Oh my gosh, you will NOT believe how much Henry Winkler ADORES Hanks’ dog! He seriously gushed about it, saying they got along *great* – like, REALLY great! He just kept saying how much he *loved* that dog. It was the sweetest thing, honestly!

He also refused to admit if he’s even seen the flick. 

“You know what you did!”

Anyone who watched *The Hills* likely remembers that famous line from Lauren, spoken at the start of season three. The drama between them started when Heidi began dating her future husband, Spencer Pratt, and really exploded when Lauren claimed Heidi and Spencer spread a false rumor about her and Jason Wahler making a sex tape.

Tyrese and Dwayne Johnson had a public falling out after the release date for *Fast & Furious 9* was delayed to April 2020. On the same day, a spin-off film featuring Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham was announced for 2019. Shortly after, Tyrese said he would leave *Fast 9* if Dwayne Johnson was still involved.

Tyrese recently discussed the conflict with Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, telling Van Lathan on the *The Red Pill* podcast that they still haven’t spoken directly. He mentioned he’d talked to one of Johnson’s producing partners, but not to Johnson himself, and hopes to have a conversation with him in the future.

Tyrese admitted he often ended up speaking for others involved with the franchise, but he regretted being the only one to publicly share those opinions. He acknowledged it was his mistake, calling it unprofessional and inappropriate.

No more bad blood here.

Taylor Swift and Katy Perry had a long-running public disagreement, rumored to be the inspiration behind Swift’s song “Bad Blood.” The conflict, which supposedly began due to a dispute over a dancer and rivalry during concert tours, ended when Perry sent Swift an actual olive branch as a peace offering before Swift’s *Reputation* Tour began.

Taylor shared a video on Instagram explaining she’d found a real olive branch in her dressing room, saying it meant a lot to her.

Taylor captioned the video, “Thank you Katy.”

For years, Kim Cattrall and Sarah Jessica Parker, stars of *Sex and the City*, dismissed rumors of a disagreement. However, speculation resurfaced when Kim chose not to participate in a third movie and subsequently made comments about her co-star that many found surprising.

During a September 2017 episode of *Watch What Happens Live*, Andy Cohen asked Sarah Jessica Parker how she felt about Kim Cattrall telling Piers Morgan they had only ever been coworkers, not friends.

She was really upset about something, saying she was heartbroken. They had talked about it all week, and she explained that she remembered things differently than the other person did, which was very distressing for her.

It’s definitely sad, but I believe what truly connects us is the shared experience we had. It started as a professional project, but over the years, it became something deeply personal. I hope that those years, and the special connection we all felt, will outweigh any recent disagreements. It was a privilege to be a part of something so meaningful for so long.

And though they didn’t film scenes together, Kim did make a small appearance on And Just Like That.

 

Elton John and Madonna have been publicly disagreeing since 2004. The conflict began when Elton, while accepting an award at the Q Awards that year, strongly criticized Madonna’s live performances. He famously said he didn’t think lip-syncing qualified as a live act and even suggested performers who lip-sync during paid concerts shouldn’t be allowed to perform.

The actress, formerly known for her role on *Grey’s Anatomy*, caused a disagreement with the show’s creator back in 2008 when she asked to be removed from Emmy Award consideration. She explained her decision by saying she didn’t believe the storylines she was given were strong enough to deserve a nomination.

Shonda Rhimes discussed Katherine Heigl’s departure in a 2012 interview with Oprah Winfrey on *Oprah’s Next Chapter*. She admitted it was both hurtful and expected. “I’ve learned to pay attention to people’s actions,” Rhimes explained. “If someone consistently demonstrates a certain behavior, you should believe that’s who they are. It’s a lesson that’s really helped me.”

The fight between Nicki and Cardi at the Harper’s Bazaar Icon party during New York Fashion Week became a major headline. A month later, Cardi publicly explained what started the argument with Nicki.

Cardi B recently told W magazine that another person has been repeatedly criticizing her. They had talked twice before and seemed to resolve things, but the criticism continued.

The conflict truly escalated when Cardi B noticed Nicki Minaj had reportedly liked, and then quickly unliked, a tweet criticizing Cardi’s skills as a mother. Nicki has stated she didn’t actually interact with the tweet.

Cardi B explained that she chose to be with her daughter instead of pursuing a very profitable Bruno Mars tour, potentially earning millions. She strongly emphasized her love for her daughter and her dedication as a mother, and expressed frustration that someone without children would criticize her choices. She added that opportunities to meet other artists are rare, and she wasn’t going to pass up this one just because of where it happened.

Oh my gosh, where do I even begin? It all started way back in 2009, and it was *awful*. I was watching the VMAs and Taylor was giving her acceptance speech, and then *he* just stormed the stage! Kanye just completely interrupted her moment, it was so unfair! They did seem to patch things up over the years, and I was actually starting to believe they could be friends, which was nice. But then, in 2026, he dropped that song, ‘Famous,’ and it just… it mentioned Taylor by name! It totally ruined everything, and honestly, I knew things would never be the same after that. It was heartbreaking to watch!

Just before the Grammys in February 2025, Kanye West began following only Taylor Swift on Instagram. He didn’t offer any explanation for this action, and Swift hasn’t publicly acknowledged it.

“I don’t know her.”

The supposed rivalry between Mariah Carey and Jennifer Lopez has been talked about for over 15 years. It began during an interview where Mariah was asked about various singers. When asked specifically about Jennifer Lopez, Mariah famously responded, “I don’t know her.”

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2025-10-13 18:18