Serena Williams Baptized As Jehovah's Witness, Viral Video Attracts Criticism

Former Tennis star Serena Williams is now a Jehovah's Witness. The legendary athlete's baptism ceremony took place at the Jehovah's Witness Assembly in West Palm Beach, Florida. The beginning of her spiritual journey which has come months after her final match on Sept. 2 has drawn criticism from certain quarters.

Her baptism was a long time coming. "Being a Jehovah's Witness is important to me, but I've never really practiced it and have been wanting to get into it," she said in an interview with Vogue in 2017. She was raised a Jehovah's Witness and she used the COVID-19 lockdown to lean into her faith and dive back into the bible, she said in another interview with British Vogue.

She's also raising her daughter Olympia as one. During a press conference in 2018, the year when Olympia turned one, Williams declared, "Olympia doesn't celebrate birthdays. We're Jehovah's Witnesses, so we don't do that."

The movie "King Richard" too heavily emphasized the importance of faith for the athlete and her siblings. "Well, we know that the family, Venus and Serena Williams and Oracene, they're Jehovah's Witnesses, and so we wanted to honor that. It's who they are. Whenever they win a match they thank Jehovah God. So, why shy away from those things? it's part of their faith," director Reinaldo Marcus Green had told America Magazine. "Now, Richard is not Jehovah but he respected the family's decision to take them to Hall. Those are the things that we learned and we wanted to embrace in the film, for sure. It was important."

While religion and faith are personal decisions, public figures always attract scrutiny. The same is the case for Williams who is being criticized for unverified claims by keyboard warriors after her baptism video became viral.

"A religion where she, as a woman, will never be allowed to hold a position or teach, one that said they were anointed from god but didn't allow Black people into the church, who now that she is baptized will insist everyone shun her if she doesn't follow rules they keep inventing," read a tweet.

"Legit upset that Serena Williams was baptized as a Jehovah's witness because it totally negates her advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community, and her outspokenness on social issues black people are facing. Other reasons of course too," wrote another.

"I cannot believe Serena Williams got baptized as a Jehovah's witness. money, fame, wealth, & infinite resources can't buy the critical thinking & necessary scrutinizing of this cult?" a third opined.