Serena Williams Pops Up Pregnant With Baby No. 2 Despite Prior Maternal Health Complications

Serena Jameka Williams was Gucci down at the Met Gala. The darling of tennis served in a black and bedazzled two-piece ensemble with white tulle that cascaded to the ground and into a train. On her head, she wore a blinged out headpiece by Lelet NY. Layers of Tiffany & Co. pearls dropped from her neckline. On her arm was her bearded hubby Alexis Ohanian. On her midsection, she donned a baby bump that indicated the tennis royalty is with child and expanding her brood with baby number two. Serena announced the pregnancy, subtly, in an Instagram post:

“Was so excited when Anna Wintour invited the 3 of us to the Met Gala,” the caption read above a rundown of glam credits and below a slideshow of five images.

A litany of congratulations erupted in the comments sections from a number of followers and celebrities, including actress and Instagram influencer Tabitha Brown, tech titan Bozoma St. John, Ciara, Michael B. Jordan, and Boris Kudjoe. Even Barbie by Mattel sent a “Glowing ✨ Congrats!”

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Many did not see this coming, particularly when Serena endured the horrors of being a Black woman navigating maternal health, and was one of the more vocal celebs that spoke up and advocated for Black women’s experience of medical neglect and postpartum depression. The three-time Olympic medalist was candid about almost losing her life after delivering her daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. by C-section — and developing a pulmonary embolism. She penned an article for CNN detailing her ordeal in 2018. BLACK ENTERPRISE is wishing Serena a healthier birthing experience and an even healthier newborn.

Black women succumb to death related to childbirth at higher rates than white and Hispanic women. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention produced a report in 2021 that revealed “the maternal mortality rate for non-Hispanic Black (subsequently, Black) women was 69.9 deaths per 100,000 live births, 2.6 times the rate for non-Hispanic White (subsequently, White) women.”

Organizations such as National Birth Equity Collaborative (NBEC); Sista Midwife Productions and the Sista Midwife Directory and Black Mamas Matter Alliance are working to address racial disparity and foster healthier maternal outcomes from Black women.