Alexis Ohanian Says Most People Know Him As ‘Serena’s Husband,’ And That’s Fine

Alexis Ohanian wants the public to know that he (unsurprisingly) feels nothing but pride when it comes to being married to his legendary, history-making, tennis superstar, fashion designer and soon-to-be TV executive producer wife, Serena Williams.

The Reddit co-founder — and Williams’ biggest cheerleader — posted a screenshot on Instagram of an exchange he had with a Twitter user who praised him for not minding being referred to as the husband of the 23-time Grand Slam tennis champ.

Ohanian took that comment a step further to point out that despite his accomplishments or future achievements — like one day becoming a self-made billionaire — he will still mostly be known as Williams’ husband, which is fine by him.

The tech entrepreneur and investor did note one exception: He could also likely be known as the dad to his and Williams’ 3-year-old daughter, Alexis Olympia. 

“I’ll be a self-made billionaire one day and most people will still know me as Serena’s husband (Or Olympia’s dad) and that’s fine by me,” he tweeted. 

He captioned the post on Instagram writing, “TBH [to be honest] I’m hoping to be known as ‘@olympiaohanian’s papa.’”

Ohanian may have directed the attention to Williams in that post, but his own accomplishments have garnered wide praise over the years. 

The entrepreneur made headlines last year when he announced his decision to step down from the Reddit board after George Floyd was killed by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. (Chauvin was convicted of two counts of murder and one count of manslaughter in Floyd’s death on Tuesday.)

Ohanian, who launched a new venture firm called Seven Seven Six earlier this year, urged Reddit to fill his seat with a Black candidate, which the company later did. Williams praised his decision at the time, tweeting that she was “so proud.” 

“I know Olympia will be too,” she added. 

That Ohanian is proud to be referred to as Williams’ husband may not seem worthy of praise on its own, but Instagram users celebrated the tech investor’s post as a stance against society’s history of undervaluing women’s contributions, and against fragile masculinity, a reflection of how society has defined masculinity and stereotypes about gender roles.

“I am at a loss for words,” one commenter wrote. “You obviously are comfortable in who you are. Thank you for saying these things you are a change agent.”

“That’s because your masculinity isn’t rooted in toxicity,” another user wrote.

“Where are all the secure ass men like you in this world?” wrote another. “You rock Olympia’s Dad!”