There are many ways to react to the news that tennis god Serena Williams is pregnant, such as with delight. Or with awe, that she managed to win the Australian Open while 10 weeks along. A less acceptable way is to publicly opine about what color the baby will be, as Ilie Nastaste did last week.
Over the weekend, Nastase, a Romanian tennis legend who peaked in the 1970s, allegedly said of Williams' pregnancy, "Let's see what color it has. Chocolate with milk?" He seemed to be referring to the unborn child's skintone, as Williams is black and her fiancé, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, is white.
The International Tennis Federation immediately decried the comments, saying: "The ITF does not tolerate discriminatory and offensive language and behaviour of any kind. We are aware of alleged comments made by Romanian captain Ilie Nastase and have begun an immediate investigation so that we have the full facts of the situation before taking further and appropriate action."
Today, Williams responded to the nasty words in an Instagram post.
"I am not afraid unlike you. You see, I am no coward," Williams says, before quoting Maya Angelou's famous poem, "Still I Rise."
Nastase's longstanding nickname is the "Bucharest Buffoon."
Follow Marie Claire on Facebook for the latest celeb news, beauty tips, fascinating reads, livestream video, and more.
-
Tom Parker Bowles Says Stepfather King Charles Could be "Fantastic" at Another Job if He Wasn't MonarchJust imagine.
-
Cartier Celebrates 100 Years of Trinity With a Miami Pop-UpA look inside the Art Basel event.
-
Six European Royals Wore a Tiara on the Same Day During Two Dazzling EventsLet's call it the tiara bowl.
-
Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling Introduce the "Newest Member" of Their Family"I'm crazy about her and excited to share life."
-
Jennifer Garner Is Reportedly Ready to Cut Ties With Jennifer Lopez, Unless Their Kids Are Involved"Her friends feel she shouldn't have allowed herself to get so involved."
-
Hailey Bieber Shares Her First Photo of Baby Son Jack Blues Since Giving Birth—See the Sweet ShotSo freaking cute.
-
Venus Williams Jokingly Reminds Us That She and Serena Aren't TwinsNope, just sisters!
-
Pamela Anderson Says It's "Tough" Staying Single After Dating So Many "Bad Boys""I didn't go after any bad boys. Bad boys came after me!"
-
Actors Who Are Nothing Like Their Most Iconic CharactersTalk about awards-worthy, transformative performances.
-
The Question on Everyone's Lips: Did Beyoncé Skip the 2024 MTV VMAs?It's been a few years since she last graced the carpet with her presence.
-
Why Isn't Selena Gomez at the 2024 VMAs?Her absence became even more noticeable after her bestie Taylor Swift showed up.
