STREAM EXCLUSIVE ORIGINALS

Why Serena Williams Won't Be Celebrating Her Daughter's 1st Birthday...At All

"Olympia doesn't celebrate birthdays."

Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., the offspring of tennis rockstar Serena Williams and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, will be turning the big O-N-E on September 1, but there will be no cake or balloons. Actually, there will no celebration whatsoever, because the family are Jehovah’s Witnesses.

“Olympia doesn’t celebrate birthdays,” Williams, said during a press conference for the U.S. Open on Saturday. “We’re Jehovah’s Witnesses, so we don’t do that.”

Serena has never shied away from opening up about her religious upbringing and previously has been quoted in Vogue saying, “Being a Jehovah’s Witness is important to me, but I’ve never really practiced it and have been wanting to get into it.”

FYI: Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t believe in birthday celebrations. “Alexis didn’t grow up going to any church, but he’s really receptive and even takes the lead. He puts my needs first,” she told Vogue.

She will next compete at the U.S. Open on Wednesday, and, of course, we’re rooting for her (hello, we’re rooting for everybody Black). Here’s to hoping for her victory and a chance to get a glimpse of newly minted one-year-old Olympia!

Latest News

Subscribe for BET Updates

Provide your email address to receive our newsletter.


By clicking Subscribe, you confirm that you have read and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge our Privacy Policy. You also agree to receive marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers) and other information from BET and the Paramount family of companies. You understand that you can unsubscribe at any time.