Alexis Ohanian, the multi-millionaire husband of retired professional tennis legend Serena Williams, is standing up for his wife.
Williams, 44, ignited a media firestorm when she shared two videos of cotton decorations inside a New York City hotel on Sept. 25 to her social media page.
“Hi everyone, how do we feel about cotton as decoration? Personally, for me, it doesn’t feel great,” Williams expressed to her 18.2 million Instagram followers while filming in the hotel hallway.
Serena Williams’ Husband Alexis Ohanian Accused of Living Off of Tennis Icon’s Money By Internet Troll, Reddit Co-Founder Claps Back
She added, “So actually, it feels like nail polish remover cotton. Natural.” She visibly shivered before walking off camera.
Williams’ questioning of the cotton display led to opposing discourse in some corners of social media about the association between the plant and the history of Black Americans being used as forced labor before the Civil War.
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Ohanian, 42, got involved in the controversy after Page Six reported that Williams has had a sculpture made of steel, concrete, and cotton in her Miami mansion, implying she was being hypocritical about the hotel decoration.
“Folks [are] entitled to have their opinions, but to use owning Radcliffe Bailey’s Monument for a Promise as some kind of a ‘gotchya’ is so breathtakingly stupid—there is some very obvious symbolism of the cotton in the artwork,” Ohanian tweeted on Sept. 26.
Folks entitled to have their opinions, but to use owning Radcliffe Bailey’s Monument for a Promise as some kind of a 'gotchya' is so breathtakingly stupid—there is some very obvious symbolism of the cotton in the artwork. https://t.co/Lhuahy2O3v
— Alexis Ohanian
(@alexisohanian) September 26, 2025
However, Ohanian got more backlash after fans discovered a photo he shared of another sculptor in their Miami home. Bailey, the Atlanta-based sculptor who passed away in 2023 at the age of 54, created Monument for a Promise to depict a donkey carrying a trunk while standing over a mound of cotton. The image featured a young girl presumed ot be their daughter Olympia based on her hair.
“Can’t make it up. I bet she paid a fortune for whatever that is,” wrote one person, while another said, “So rich she forgot about the art in her own home.”
Some even agreed, “This is hideous btw.”
So rich she forgot about the art in her own home. pic.twitter.com/YTEj1RUTJP
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) September 27, 2025
Ohanian jumping into the conversation sparked more chatter about cotton’s troubling connection to race in America. In particular, one self-described non-Black woman directly asked the Reddit co-founder about the subject.
“I am trying to be more understanding on the issue of ‘cotton’ as mulattos didn’t pick it, so it doesn’t resonate with me in the same way as it does with Black people. So I have to admit, I am genuinely confused,” she wrote.
The woman continued, “Reading your post, it sounds like you’re sticking up for Serena here, which is super cute as her husband. But I am confused about what you seem upset at. Is the issue Page 6’s headline or that Serena was holding it in the first place? Like, what is the ‘gotcha’ here?”
Ohanian replied by sharing a screenshot of what appeared to be a ChatGPT-created response about Monument for a Promise. The AI statement included an explanation that the piece is about “remembering sadness” and “believing in a brighter tomorrow.”
— Alexis Ohanian
Additionally, Ohanian scored co-signs for responding and serving as a shield for Williams. One person applauded the internet entrepreneur by posting, “If there’s one thing Alexis will do, it’s defend his woman!”
Bailey’s Monument for a Promise was featured in a 2021 profile of Williams’ Florida residence for Architectural Digest. The Olympic gold medalist had the artwork displayed in the home’s formal sitting room.
“When you walk in, it’s like walking into an art gallery,” Williams told the century-old interior design magazine. “That’s my favorite part of the house. It’s so unique. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Williams and Ohanian first crossed paths in 2015 in Rome and began dating that same year. In December 2016, Ohanian proposed to the Compton native at the same Roman hotel where they met.
The couple got married in New Orleans in November 2017. Their first daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., was born two months earlier in September 2017. Williams gave birth to a second daughter, Adira River Ohanian, in August 2023.
‘Can’t Make This Up’: Serena Williams’ Husband Rushes to Her Defense Amid Controversy as Internet Spots Cotton Sculpture in Their Home
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