Serena Williams is one half of arguably the most famous tennis siblings of all time. But their family is one marred by tragedy, with the sister of Serena and Venus Williams brutally killed in a fatal drive-by shooting.
The shocking incident resurfaced in the aftermath of the Super Bowl LIX, which saw 43-year-old Serena going viral after making an appearance in Kendrick Lamar’s halftime show.
During the show, Serena appeared on one of the stages doing a Crip Walk dance during Kendrick’s performance of ‘Not Like Us’. A Grammy award winning song, it was created as a diss towards Kendrick’s rival Drake, who Serena was heavily rumoured to have dated between 2011 and 2015.
Viewers were left somewhat shocked by Serena doing the Crip Walk, or C-Walk, after realising the links between the dance and the gang that killed her sister.
Serena Williams’ cameo during Kendrick Lamar’s halftime showCredit: TikTok/@NFL 0 seconds of 17 secondsVolume 90%
Crip Walk explained
Created in the 1970s by Robert Jackson, known as ‘Sugar Bear’, he was a member of the Crips gang that operate out of Los Angeles.
An extremely violent street gang, with a history of murders, robberies, and dealing drugs, the dance was used by members to signify their allegiance to the Crips.
Technically difficult to execute, it requires people to intricately move their feet in quick fashion where they will usually spell out the work C-R-I-P. In a more sinister use, it has been performed by Crip gang members after they have killed a target.
It found itself way in to the rap subculture along the West Coast of the USA, with artists such as Snoop Dogg, Ice-T, and Ice Cube performing it over the years during their concerts.
Serena Williams Crip Walking at the Super Bowl (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Roc Nation)
Serena Williams doing the Crip Walk
Serena has opted to perform the Crip Walk on a number of occasions during her life.
After winning gold medal at the 2012 Olympics at Wimbledon, she performed the signature dance move on Centre Court with sister Venus cheering her on from the family box.
She also did it in June last year when presenting at the ESPY Awards.
“Not a single one of us, not even me, should ever pick a fight with Kendrick Lamar,” she said in an apparent reference to her alleged ex Drake’s beef with the Compton rapper.
Serena danced the C-Walk once again at the 2025 Super Bowl in New Orleans, appearing with Kendrick during his performance of ‘Not Like Us’. Speaking about the song, she previously said: “When they play that jam, I’m jamming. That jam is jamming.”
People didn’t realise Serena’s sister was shot dead by a Crip gang member (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
Killing of Serena Williams’ sister and fan realisation
Following Serena’s Crip Walk performance at the Super Bowl, some viewers were alerted to the Crips connection to the Williams family through the shocking killing of Yetunde Price.
Yetunde was the half sister of Serena and Venus. But back in 2003 when she was just 31, she was shot in the head in a drive-by shooting by a Crips gang member.
Parked up in her SUV with her boyfriend, they had inadvertently positioned the car outside of a crack house in Compton. Crips gang members guarding the house got suspicious before opening fire on the car, believing it to be connected to a rival gang.
One bullet was shot in to Price’s head, with her being pronounced dead shortly after when in hospital.
Robert Edward Maxfield, then 25, pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter the day before the third trial for Price’s killing. The first two trials had ended in a mistrial.
Serena and her family were naturally devastated by the loss, with her saying in 2004, as per PEOPLE: “She was a wonderful person. We’re dealing with it however we can. Some days are better than others.”