Serena Williams Thinks Steubenville Rape Victim ‘Shouldn’t Have Put Herself in That Position’ [Update]

Serena Williams.

If Rolling Stone's profile of Serena Williams had ended a few paragraphs earlier, there might have been some buzz among tennis fans about her criticizing a competitor who may or may not be Maria Sharapova, and writer Stephen Rodrick comparing her to Kim Jong-un. However, when Roderick accompanied Williams to a nail salon, a report about the rape of a 16-year-old girl from Steubenville, Ohio by two football players happened to appear a TV screen, and Williams decided to share her breathtakingly insensitive take on the case. "Do you think it was fair, what they got? They did something stupid, but I don't know," Williams remarked. "I'm not blaming the girl, but if you're a 16-year-old and you're drunk like that, your parents should teach you: Don't take drinks from other people. She's 16, why was she that drunk where she doesn't remember?"

Williams added, "It could have been much worse. She's lucky. Obviously, I don't know, maybe she wasn't a virgin, but she shouldn't have put herself in that position, unless they slipped her something, then that's different."

Her remarks were widely condemned on social media, with journalist Jamil Smith providing the best takeaway:

While Rodrick emphasizes in the beginning of the article that, "Serena's dominance has been fueled by not giving a shit what you or anyone else thinks about her methods," we'd be surprised if a statement clarifying her remarks doesn't appear soon.

Update, 10:45 a.m.: As predicted, Williams released a statement on her website this morning clarifying her opinion about the Steubenville victim. Williams also implies that she never said things she was reported to have said:

“What happened in Steubenville was a real shock for me. I was deeply saddened. 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. I am currently 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. What was written – what I supposedly said – is insensitive and hurtful, and I by no means would say or insinuate that she was at all to blame.

I have fought all of my career for women’s equality, women’s equal rights, respect in their fields – anything I could do to support women I have done. My prayers and support always goes out to the rape victim. In this case, most especially, to an innocent sixteen year old child.”

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A Celebration of Esther Williams, Hollywood’s Mermaid

Esther Williams, the synchronized-swimming dream girl from Technicolor movie musicals of the forties and fifties, died this morning in her sleep at the age of 91.

Raised in California, Williams was a champion swimmer when the outbreak of World War II derailed her ability to compete in the 1940 Summer Olympics. Her specialties were "male only" strokes like the butterfly. She held three national titles at the age of 16.

She signed a contract with MGM in 1941. Her debut as a leading lady came in 1944's Bathing Beauty, as seen above. In her memoir, Million Dollar Mermaid, Williams described the critical response to Bathing Beauty as "glowing."

In reality, the reviews were mixed. New York Times critic Bosley Crowther found the production "gaudy," but Williams so lived up to the title that he ultimately dubbed Bathing Beauty a success:

Williams quickly became one of Hollywood's most bankable actresses, starring in dozens of films. The Associated Press's obituary recounts how Williams "laughed as much as anyone" at Funny Girl Fanny Brice's dig, "Esther Williams? Wet, she's a star. Dry, she ain't."

Williams married four times. At age 19, she married a "smart, handsome, dependable, and dull" man she met in college. At age 24, she married actor Ben Gage and had three children with him. At age 43, she married her Dangerous While Wet co-star and The Magic Fountain director Fernando Lamas, who forced her to give up her career.

After Lamas's death, Williams reemerged into the public eye. She co-hosted the synchronized swimming competition at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, launched a swimwear line, and produced video swimming lessons for children. At age 73, she married actor Edward Bell, with whom she lived out the rest of her life. 

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