Venus Williams Breaks Silence on Will Smith Playing Richard Williams After Oscars Slap Controversy

“DVD? How far are we going back? I don’t know what he’s talking about,” joked Venus Williams during her press conference with Leylah Fernandez following their defeat to Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova. “He’s older than me,” she took a dig at the reporter who wondered if, despite everything that has changed for Venus Williams over the years and since her hiatus, she still leans on a familiar source of comfort—a 90s sitcom called The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, starring Will Smith. Of course, Smith’s reputation took a nosedive following the infamous slap, but that doesn’t seem to have diminished the admiration Williams has for the Hollywood star’s dedication to his craft.

On being asked in the presser whether it feels different watching the show, considering Smith played her father in King Richard, Williams went back in time when she was young. She confessed that she and her sister, Serena Williams, were always practicing on the court. And their father only let them watch educational programs. Venus said, “So, never really got to see ‘The Fresh Prince’ until like I grew up. So, it was like major for me, as like a 20-year-old to watch that. But it never gets old. And Will Smith is a legend. And the fact that he did such an honor to play.”

The Oscars debacle didn’t seem to cross her mind as she highlighted how the actor took up the role of Richard Williams pretty seriously. And she was truly impressed with that. She continued, “He really put his whole life into it, and he got rewarded for it, too. And in turn, we all got rewarded for it. But I have so much respect for him.” 

250826 — NEW YORK, Aug. 26, 2025 — Venus Williams of the United States reacts before the women s singles first round match against Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic at the 2025 US Open tennis championships in New York, the United States, on Aug. 25, 2025. SPU.S.-NEW YORK-TENNIS-US OPEN-WOMEN S SINGLES LixRui PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxCHN

 

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