Serena Williams reveals why Kendrick Lamar invited her to Crip Walk at the Super Bowl

Serena Williams has revealed the exact reason Kendrick Lamar invited her to perform at Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans.

The huge NFL sporting event, which saw the Philadelphia Eagles annihilate the Kansas City Chiefs to get their hands back on the Lombardi Trophy, was watched by hundreds of millions around the world.

And all eyes were on Kendrick Lamar as he geared up for the halftime show, with everyone wondering if he would or wouldn't play his Drake diss track, 'Not Like Us'.

Saving the Grammy Award-winning tune until last after teasing it multiple times during the show, which starred Samuel L Jackson and SZA, Kendrick even went as far as bringing out tennis superstar Serena Williams.

Williams before Crip Walking for Kendrick (Michael Owens/Getty Images)

Williams, 43, is reported to be the former girlfriend of Drake.

And given the alleged romantic connection between the sporting legend and Kendrick's musical opponent, many viewers took her participation in the Super Bowl as a two fingers up to the Canadian rapper.

But in a new statement on why she appeared in the halftime show, Williams clarified why she was invited.

"When Kendrick Lamar and team called and was like, ‘we’ve been trying to do something forever, what about this? We loved your Crip Walk at the Olympics after you won the gold medal'," she posted on her Instagram feed.

"I’m like Super Bowl? Are you serious?

"When in the world would I ever be able to dance at a Super Bowl? Never... let’s do it!

"I knew my winning dance after the Olympics would pay off one day. End of story."

Williams famously performed the C-Walk after winning a gold medal at the 2012 Olympics in London, carrying out the dance on Wimbledon's Centre Court. Absolutely nothing to do with Drake, then.

She posted the statement alongside a video of herself getting ready for the major cameo which sent viewers in to a frenzy when the cameras cut to her Crip Walking to 'Not Like Us'.

Williams was criticised for doing the Crip Walk (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

The footage showed Williams enjoying the first half from the executive boxes before following her outfit change for the halftime show and behind the scenes preparation with Kendrick's team.

Williams' decision to Crip Walk in the halftime show has been criticised by some after discovering that her half-sister, Yetunde Price, was shot and killed by a Crip gang member in 2003.

Historically, the dance has been performed by Crip gang members to identify their allegiance to the street gang. It was also performed by some after carrying out a hit on a rival gang member.

Kendrick Lamar during his halftime show (Cindy Ord/Getty Images)

"Serena Williams’ sister was killed by a Crip in a drive-by shooting and she had the audacity to Crip Walk during Kendrick Lamar’s halftime show... indefensible," one viewer wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Taking to Instagram to defend his wife following criticism of the dance, her husband and Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian said: "Some of y’all have no idea how criticised Serena was for this same dance at Wimbledon 13 years ago, and it shows. This is bigger than the music."

LADbible has contacted Serena Williams' reps for comment over the criticism.