Serena Williams speaks out in support of ‘selfless friend’ Meghan Markle
'Meghan Markle, my selfless friend, lives her life — and leads by example — with empathy and compassion,' the tennis legend wrote
Tennis legend Serena Williams wrote a lengthy Instagram post expressing her support for her “selfless friend,” Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex.
“Meghan Markle, my selfless friend, lives her life — and leads by example — with empathy and compassion. She teaches me every day what it means to be truly noble. Her words illustrate the pain and cruelty she’s experienced,” she wrote and also shared on her Twitter page just hours after Oprah with Meghan and Harry: A CBS Primetime Special aired.
“I know first hand the sexism and racism institutions and the media use to vilify women and people of color to minimize us, to break us down and demonize us. We must recognize our obligation to decry malicious, unfounded gossip and tabloid journalism. The mental health consequences of systemic oppression and victimization are devastating, isolating, and all too often lethal,” the post read.
“I want Meghan’s daughter, my daughter, and your daughter to live in a society that is driven by respect.”
One commenter compassionately replied, “I’m so sorry you had to experience all the pain you’ve been through. I am also sorry you had to stop watching because of how it echoed that same pain. I know you don’t know me and I don’t know you, but I want to let you know that someone cares about you.”
Read More: Meghan Markle: There were ‘conversations’ about ‘how dark’ son’s skin would be
Serena Williams is married to Alexis Ohanian—an American businessman who is white. She has been criticized for marrying outside of her race. In 2018, she told Essence, “It’s interesting. I never thought I would have married a white guy … so it just goes to show you that love truly has no color, and it just really goes to show me the importance of what love is.”
The couple has one daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian, Jr., who is showing promise on the tennis court. Williams said on Instagram in October that she signed Olympia up for tennis lessons, but didn’t reveal to the teacher that she was the daughter of a tennis great.
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