Serena Williams has denied accusations that she ‘forced’ husband Alexis Ohanian to donate earnings from Reddit shares to the black community after the tech founder resigned from the company’s board in a move against racial injustice.

The global tennis star took a break from her typical weekly ‘Serena Saturdays’ Instagram Live show to interview her husband about his shock announcement.

Ohanian, who shares two-year-old daughter Alexis Olympia with Williams, on Friday revealed that he will give up his seat on Reddit’s board of directors and pledge to donate all future profits ‘to serve the community’. copper’. black community’.

During the interview, Williams said the pair had briefly spoken about the idea together, but revealed it was Ohanian’s decision to give up his position and funds.

During the live show, Ohanian revealed how being married to a black woman has allowed him to confront his white privilege, which at times have been uncomfortable

‘We talked about it a little bit and I remember telling you, “This is your decision to make ultimately.” Whatever you do I’m going to support you. This is not my decision to make, this is up to you,’ she said.

‘This is all Alexis, which is really cool. A lot of people might think I told you to do something, or that I forced you, or that I was in your ear, have you heard that?

‘He doesn’t listen to me ever,’ she joked.

As part of his promise to donate his gains, Ohanian has pledged $1million to Colin Kaepernick’s Know Your Rights campaign, which he said seemed like ‘an obvious’ starting point.

[He] seemed to be the first person to reach out and say, “hey, we still have a lot of work to do but I want to make sure that the first dollars are spent on the work you’re doing,” and he She was very gracious in accepting,’ he said.

The man also spoke candidly about his experiences with race, revealing that being married to a black woman allowed him to confront his white privilege, which sometimes made him feel uncomfortable. comfortable. feel uncomfortable.

“I think it’s important for all of us in white America, especially men, to be comfortable with that pain,” he said.

‘There are have been so many moments where I’ve even seen things that you’ve had to deal with. Just total bulls**t that you’ve had to deal with, with grace and dignity,’ he said.

‘We’re comfortable with it, we’re too comfortable with it. It’s uncomfortable and we’ve gotten used to being uncomfortable with it,’ Williams replied.

The tech entrepreneur also admitted to never having to face discomfort or insecurity at his job saying ‘at no point in my career did I feel like I was ever in the wrong room, or that I was ever being judged.’

‘And then to see the things that you have to deal with are infuriating. And when I ask my fellow white men, the rich ones …come on guys, we have a duty to lean into that discomfort,’ he added.

Williams also spoke out about her experiences with racism in the sports world and how she’s relied on her faith to get through it.

‘It’s something unfortunately that has become the norm for us. I entered a sport that was all white and it definitely wasn’t easy looking back.

‘It really all just boiled down to my faith and realizing that all this is temporary. What I believe and what the Bible teaches, is that there is so much more waiting if we exercise faith.

The tech founder and investor is married to tennis star Serena Williams and they have a two-year-old daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian, Jr. (pictured together here)

Williams shared the post on her own social media accounts saying she is ‘so proud of your commitment to not just me but to “us”’

“I think I would be very angry, very bitter, very jealous if I didn’t have this spiritual foundation,” she added.

Williams shared Ohanian’s post on her own social media account and said she was ‘proud’ of her husband.

‘So proud of your commitment to not just me but “us,” she wrote on Twitter along with retweeting her husband’s post.

In another Tweet, she wrote: ‘Having diverse perspectives on any board is important. So proud of you Alexis. I know Olympia does too.”

This shocking news comes just days after former Reddit CEO Ellen Pao criticized the company for publishing an open letter to employees condemning racism, following the death of a black man. Black George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer in Minneapolis last year.