CELEBRITY
Serena Williams models swimsuit with slippers after weight loss medication backlash
Williams, 43, shared a new photo series this week posing outdoors in an olive-green one-piece swimsuit. She layered it with a cozy pink robe draped over her shoulders and finished the look with casual Ugg slippers.
No heels. No production team. Just soft glam, subtle pink lipstick, and laid-back poses.
The vibe was intentional: relaxed, real, and unbothered.
THE CAPTION THAT STARTED THE CONVO
It was the words, not just the photos, that got attention.
“I am not perfect… but I’m perfectly me,” Williams wrote. “Take time today to celebrate being perfectly you.”
The post came months after she announced a partnership with telemedicine company Ro, revealing she lost 31 pounds with a GLP-1 medication after having two children. In the video, she appeared to inject the weekly treatment and said her body “needed” it.
WHY THERE WAS BACKLASH
That announcement divided fans.
Many criticized the messaging from a sports icon.
• “As an athlete and an influencer, it’s a shame that you’re reiterating the narrative that you need to take medication to be healthy”
• “The messaging here is so wrong coming from an athlete like her and very dangerous for society”
• “You can put whatever you want in your body but let’s not call it healthcare!”
One longtime fan called it “heartbreaking” to see weight-loss drug promotion “infiltrate the world of sports” — a space she saw as “body positive” because “your body is your tool”.
