Serena Williams Apologizes, Says She Lost Control In "Good Morning America" Interview (VIDEO)

Serena Williams went on Good Morning America today to repent for her US Open semi-finals outburst, and attempt to repair her image.

In the interview, Williams discusses exactly what was going through her mind when she threatened the line umpire, her new book, and the murder of her sister Yetunda Price in 2003.

Comments

[MosheDayanHero]

Since she's a Jehovah's Witness, I wonder if her church would have to say anything about it, Especially the strictly prohibited "I swear to god" in conjunction with the school yard bully talk.

[social justice ca]

The line judge should be apologizing to Serena.

[MosheDayanHero]

As sson as she apologizes to him for threats based on which the line judge could've easily filed a police report.

[EminemsRevenge]

BE REAL! Ilie Nastasie and McEnroe were a lot more abusive to the line judges...methinks the backlash is due to the Glenn Beck phenomenon, which is just the chickens coming home to roost now that a 'black' man is in the WHITE House.

[MarieNat]

She looked really pretty in this interview. That's all. Carry on.

[Two Cents]

Let us not forget: the Williams sisters have been villified as "overpowerful", "not lady like", "too muscular" all throughout their careers. (Can you imagine dealing with *that* as a young woman?) Sports news reporters on television and in print subjected them to insult with abandon. Very seldom, if ever, do you hear acknowledgement or praise for their obvious hard work, their rising against the odds given their socio-economic background or their service to women's sports by modeling a healthier version of being a woman--namely someone who is physically and mentally strong and doesn't feel the need to play down their strength in order to appease male fear (whatever that might entail). And "h*ll yeah" she wrote a book. Why shouldn't she have? Talented, focused and intelligent. She paid her $10 K. Let it go.

[Doc0976]

Agreed and fanned!

[Olampean]

She's a phenomenal athlete, no doubt. She needs to work on her sportspersonship. She really wants everybody to buy her book.

[jessicadevyn]

She has been doing this for 10 years now. This is her first outburst. She has behaved professionally the entire time.

[blimie]

Go Serena, don't let the b*st*rds get you down.

[len501]

Inglorious ones at that!

[MosheDayanHero]

Yeah, don't let your filthy language and crude threats towards officials stop you for being even more self absorbed. Quite a role model there.

[adsandiego]

@ "Betrayed"

you seem to be in a lot of distress over this .. tell you what .. just pretend serena is white and everything will be ok ...close your eyes ....go !

[myownvoice]

Ahhh the old 'double standard'.....on in america-

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20090928/zirin

[Anastasia]

In the interview Serena says that she likes to play angry. On some level it may be helpful because anger causes an adrenalin rush but it must really mess up the psyche to work your self up into a rage every time you compete.

If she takes steroids as some have suggested, that might account for her behavior too. Either way, she cares way too much about a bad call to be considered healthy.

[Doc0976]

So now you are insinuating that she has roid rage? You can't be serious.

Walk a mile in her shoes and let me know if you have that anger in check.

[len501]

C'mon Dr. Phil! Cut the psycho babble. It's the first time the sista has done this and she has apologized. Mooooooooooove on.

[tfred]

It also might account for her football player shoulders.

[Two Cents]

. . . or maybe she works out with weights. It's also the case that sub-Saharan Africans, on average, have more musculature than indigenous Europeans. (We also, on average, have thicker skin, hence our aging well with fewer wrinkles.)

[EeekAMouse]

Sorry but America is still such a racist country! Its amazing to see a whole Center Court packed with AMERICANS...in American rooting for foreign players against the William sisters. I will never understand that. These are the same people that are quick to call themselves "patriots". I have watched American crowds cheering even for the much hated French when they play against any of the William sisters. What do you think goes through Serena and Venus' mind when the home crowd is cheering against them? I am more of a soccer fan than tennis but whenever I watch the tennis matches involving any of the William sisters, it is so easy to pick out the pattern whenever a point is made. Whenever a Serena/Venus makes a point there's clapping but whenever a "French" oponent makes a point, there is this thunderous roar of approval and screams!These two girls endure same treatment all over the world but it is much worse in their own country. And yet they keep winning and winning and winning and winning. Choke on that haters! These two girls are so much stronger than any of you haters can fathom. I am so proud of them

[liamd1]

BS.. she was acting like a thug and got called on it.. Quit making excuses for her.

Race card = lame

[jessicadevyn]

Yeah, because r/cism so doesn't exist. It's just a figment of black people's and socially conscious white people's imaginations!! WOW! Thanks for enlightening me!

[thegiver]

Since when did cheering for an underdog become unpatriotic ?

[Mach8]

The new meme = "racism doesn't exist."

If only that were true.

Get ready to see more of these terms when Blacks, especially famous Blacks, are referenced on discussion boards and forums:

Thug

Bully

Child(ish)

Tantrum

Gangster (or the colloquial "gangsta")

Racist (yeah, Blacks are now racists if you hadn't heard. Let's forget that, unlike most whites, they generally don't have the authority or social standing to act on that racism to any significant effect. Even with all the rappers and pro athletes, Blacks control the least wealth and, thus, have the lowest power of all the major ethnic groups in this country)

I'm sure there are more, but you'll be able to spot them. The Big Lie tells us that if enough people scream an absurdity, it will become an acknowledged "fact." Racism, particularly among whites, can be backed up empirically but history tends to get swept under the rug when the topic comes up.

[nibblybits]

You realize what you're arguing is not racism, but nationalism. And last time I checked, tennis is an individual sport. The athletes don't play for countries (except in the Olympics), just for themselves. If people want to root for someone from another country, it's their right. Your brand of blind nationalism is what gets us inanities like "freedom fries".

Wake up tomorrow and read your post again, and you'll probably be pretty embarrassed. It's rather stupid.

[texhall00]

Let's not forget Roger Federer remarks to the referee, "You can't tell me what to say, or when I can talk, I don't give a s---what you say! Fed drop the S word. The point is there's no excuse for using choice words however if your going to call out Serena you need to call out Roger to.

[antaeus]

Who's not doing that? Some of you justifiers and rationalizers and excusers sound just like Rep. Wilson and his wife offering lame justifications of his outrageous breach of decorum during a speech by the President of the U.S. It's all rude, no matter who does it.

Some of you defending this kind of screaming, menacing profanity are probably the same vulgar screamers and finger wavers who regularly drive in L.A. Yeah, that's the kind of society I want to live in.

[Doc0976]

I don't drive in L.A., but it can't be much worse than NY or DC. I'm a vulgar screamer and finger waver when I'm driving, but that is only because BAD drivers are trying to kill me. Your comment makes me think you are one of those bad drivers who doesn't know how to use Bluetooth.

My point is that there's a difference here.

[liamd1]

Except that he didn't assault the line judge.

He was a punk as well.

[jessicadevyn]

Serena didn't "assault" anyone either.

For the record, I am fans of both Federer and Williams. They both made mistakes but lets move on.

[eddiefi]

I am amazed by the remarks I see here. "She apologized so lets move on". "I've heard worse language during rush hour". "she is the only American woman to win this" Also how dare you to compare her to President Obama. I support Obama but how can you support some one who approaches a line judge that she was towering over and tell her that she would like to take the f-ing ball and cram it down her f-ing throat. She wanted to win. Who doesn't but behavior like this has to stop. She needs to be suspended for several months and they should have suspended her before she played and won the finals. We cannot just keep giving in to the wealthy and celebrity out here.

[jessicadevyn]

You are just mad to see a rich black woman. You don't feel that way about Federer. You can't stand to see rich black people. There are prescribed rules of tennis, she broke them and they are happy with her punishment.

[juhar]

I believe there is bias against the Williams Sisters' dominance of women's tennis. I think they want new younger champions. I think they want the Williams Sisters to retire and stop winning everything.

Sorry Charlie. I hope they stay as long as Billie Jean, Christy, and Martina.

[liamd1]

I think folks want personal responsibility and for all folks to stop acting like spoiled brats.

[Mach8]

And I'll support you when you scream just as loud when a white person shows immature, boorish behavior. But, I guess the implication is that whites don't act so "uncivilized," right?

[len501]

Let's make sure there are some more nubian princesses to follow.

[social justice ca]

Most of us cannot imagine the passion, self-belief, and the belief in justice that has created this amazing tennis champion. She was denied justice at a time when she was pulling all that strength together; to come back like she has, time and time again, to come back like she knows she can.

She was denied that comeback by INJUSTICE. This triggered her unbridled RAGE. This rage was expressed for herself, for all those that experience social injustice, and for the generations before her that never got justice because of the ignorance and unjust control by others.

[WeAreTheWorld]

The umpire called a gd footfault. Don't make her into Rosa Parks.

[nibblybits]

Injustice? Are you joking? She foot faulted, the line judge did the right thing by calling it, and Serena lost her sh*t.

Serena is a great player, deservedly number one, but she did not react to that call like a champion. She reacted like a chump. Then afterwards, she made excuses instead of just admitting she was wrong and apologizing. She made a bad situation worse instead of better. Too bad, because a lot of people who aren't tennis fans saw her threats on the news and only know that about her, not her amazing talent.

[coollbreezz]

There was no foot fault. Her foot was in the same place every time she served. He foot was behind the line when she hit the ball. The line judge was wrong and she lied when she said that Serena said I kill you.

[eddiefi]

What the hell was that all about?

[eddiefi]

Injustice! You have to be kidding. This is tennis and she threatened to cram a ball down the throat of the official that is calling the match. Surely you aren't saying this was RACIAL INJUSTICE! This is pathetic.

[liamd1]

Of course they're gonna say that.

One trick pony

[Anastasia]

Please.

She has won countless tournaments and is worth tens of millions of dollars. She's hardly one of the down trodden masses.

[dcoxucla]

Please it was a man this wouldnt be an issue ....that was a bad call

[liamd1]

It was assault.