Serena Williams Causes Stir With Complaint About Hotel's Cotton Plant Decoration
Serena Williams courted curiosity after calling out what appears to be a hotel for its cotton plant decoration.
In an Instagram Story she shared Thursday, the camera approaches the arrangement as Williams says, “All right everyone, how do we feel about cotton as a decoration? Personally for me, it doesn’t feel great.”
Sports: Rudi Johnson, Cincinnati Bengals’ Record-Breaking Rusher, Dies At 45
In another story, she holds a piece of the cotton in her gloved hand. “So actually it feels like nail polish remover cotton,” she says.
“Natural,” she continues as she wipes her nails before making a cringing gesture.
Serena Williams calls out New York hotel for cotton plant décor in corridor — all while wearing a blonde wig pic.twitter.com/ooppLvckny
— Catch Up (@CatchUpFeed) September 26, 2025
Multiple outlets covered the post as some of the obvious questions remained unanswered by the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion herself:
Was she merely criticizing a design aesthetic or suggesting the cotton plant carried historical implications of racism?
Sports: 99 MPH Pitch Hits Cleveland’s David Fry In The Face In ‘Really Scary Moment’
Williams appeared this week at a NikeSKIMS event in New York City. She stars in the brand’s promotional video.
HuffPost is attempting to reach her through multiple channels.
Meanwhile, the internet is abuzz.