Yesterday, an interview with Serena Williams revealed that the tennis great defended the Steubenville rapists and blamed the victim for her poor judgment, going so far as to bring up her virginity. Today, feeling the backlash, she's backpedaling. But what she's saying isn't even the requisite non-apology apology -- you know, where you say you're sorry "if anyone was offended," but not admitting you were wrong. Instead, it sounds more like a flat-out lie. I hope the RS reporter releases tapes of the interview.
The Daily News reports:
Tarnished tennis star Serena Williams claimed Wednesday that a Rolling Stone reporter put the hateful words about the Steubenville, Ohio, rape victim into her mouth. “What was written — what I supposedly said — is insensitive and hurtful,” Williams said in a statement posted on her website. “I by no means would say or insinuate that she was at all to blame.”
Williams said she is now “reaching out to the girl’s family to let her know that I am deeply sorry for what was written in the Rolling Stone article.” The top-ranked female tennis player in the world was forced to do damage control after she was quoted saying the 16-year-old “shouldn’t have put herself in that position” in excerpts from an upcoming article by Stephen Rodrick that were published by Deadspin. Williams, on her site, insisted, “what happened in Steubenville was a real shock for me.” “I was deeply saddened,” she wrote. “For someone to be raped, and at only sixteen, is such a horrible tragedy! For both families involved – that of the rape victim and of the accused.”Sure, Serena. And you also didn't actually threaten to shove a ball down a lineswoman's throat or tell an umpire that if she "sees you coming in the hallway, walk the other way."
Read HERE.
UPDATE: Click HERE for an excellent letter from a prosecutor in Northern California who thinks this could become a teachable moment for both Serena and the country.
4 comments:
I don't think she ever said it was her fault she was raped. She said it was her fault for putting herself in a position for danger to happen.
It's splitting hairs yet a very important distinction. If you're walking down the street, see a hostile group of teens and you don't cross the street do you have no responsibility? Of course it's never right for the criminal to rape, rob, pillage, etc. That's almost always wrong. But if you put yourself in dangerous settings you may be in danger. It doesn't make it your fault as in you "caused" it, but you did put yourself in harms way.
I love Serena and yet I'm quite disappointed that she even weighed in on this issue. I chalk it up to her extremely conservative cult-ish religious background. It's hard to overcome that.
Craig, seriously?
She brought up the girl's VIRGINITY! (?????)
Did she say anything about the guys putting themselves in a position to have their "futures" destroyed, something she seemed most concerned with. And did she say anything about the guys' parents not teaching them not to RAPE girls just because they're unconscious? The walking down the street comparison isn't really a good one -- it fits the American who got in a car at 2 a.m. with strangers in India, perhaps -- because this girl went to a house party with her friends and peers. I think she had a right to expect a certain level of security, regardness of anything else.
And what did you mean by "that's ALMOST always wrong" to rape, rob, pillage, etc."? ALMOST always?
You honestly sound like Serena, cushioning the whole thing by starting out by saying you're not blaming the victim, BUT ...
Do you also make excuses for her threats against linespeople and umpires?!
She's a low-class skank. Is anyone shocked by what she said and her lies to get herself out of it?
There are justifiable times to steal.....to feed your family for instance...never to rape. I'd never defend the guys....one doesn't have control over others. What she, and all of us can do, is control our behaviors. I'm a recovering addict, sober 28 years, I don't go to bars anymore because its a dangerous place. That's on me to do. I also won't get slipped a drug as I'm not in that situation. I do that for my own protection. That's my point. I shouldn't have to, but in light of reality I need to.
And you're totally right, in an ideal world we should have personal safety.....that world doesn't exist.
Serena served her punishment for the Open tirade, it was crass and over the top. I don't see it as defining her for the rest of her life. I've said some things, in the heat of the moment, that I'm not proud of, and I would hope that they wouldn't define me for the rest of my life.
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