“Venus and Serena, you are such wonders…but you don't have to play against the boys like me,” she said at the Critics' Choice Awards ceremony, after receiving the trophy for best director, Sunday, March 13.
A comment made by Jane Campion which aroused the annoyance of the Williams sisters - evidenced by the embarrassed reaction of Venus during the speech -, and the indignation of Internet users.
The latter judged the words of the filmmaker sexist and racist.
Since then, the director of
The Power of the Dog
(2021) has apologized in a press release, unveiled on Monday March 14, for having “devalued” the tennis champions, whose story is at the heart of the film
The Williams Method
.
“I totally celebrate you”
"I made a thoughtless comment comparing what I do in the movie world to everything Serena and Venus Williams have accomplished," she wrote.
I had no intention of devaluing these two legendary black women and world-class athletes.”
Before adding: “The fact is that the Williams sisters have indeed faced men on the field (and outside), she explained.
They have both set the bar very high and opened new doors for the women of this world.”
The two champions have indeed won Grand Slam tournaments in mixed doubles.
“The last thing I want to do is diminish the merit of these remarkable women.
I love Serena and Venus.
Their exploits are titanic and inspiring.
Serena and Venus, I beg your pardon and totally celebrate you.”
A mea culpa to which the Williams sisters have not, for the moment, reacted.
Serena Williams nevertheless underlined in an Instagram story what she thought should be remembered from the evening: the fact that "everyone talks about their support for the Ukrainian people".
