"King Richard" Criticized By White Feminists, Black Twitter Swoops In

BY Erika Marie 29.3K Views
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King Richard premiere
Some have called this one of Will Smith's best performances as he portrayed the sisters' father, Richard Williams. The sisters acted as executive producers.

A "radical feminist" felt the wrath of "Black Twitter" after she openly criticized the film, King Richard. The recently released movie has been hailed near and far as it stars Will Smith as Richard Williams, the dedicated father to iconic tennis duo, Venus and Serena Williams. The sisters acted as executive producers of the film that is centered around their father, his sacrifices, and his determination to see his daughters succeed in a sport that does not often see Black faces—especially from Compton.

However, Dr. Jessica Taylor, a white woman, took to Twitter to condemn the film for somehow being anti-feminist. "Did they seriously make a film called ‘King Richard’ about the success of Serena and Venus Williams - but it’s about their dad, Richard?" she questioned.


People were quick to defend the feature, even explaining to her that yes, King Richard is a film named after and about Richard Williams, but Taylor continued to double down on her take. "I get this has annoyed people but I genuinely didn’t expect a film about two of the most powerful, successful and amazing black female athletes to be named after a man, or centre a man. I would have loved this film to be all about them, and not a man. That’s it really."

Soon, Black people stormed her mentioned with questions and comments of their own. Some were helpful as they attempted to reiterate that this was Venus and Serena's way of putting their father's tireless efforts on display, while others angrily chastised Taylor for inserting her opinion. Soon, Taylor received a wash of support of her own by other white feminists who spoke out against the film as well, many stating they were speaking out on behalf of Black women. 

It turned into a bit of a cluster before the controversy eased, but Taylor is still being dragged online from one social media platform to the next. Check it out below.















About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.

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