Serena Williams Issues Second Apology For Steubenville Rape Comments

Serena Williams landed in hot water last week over a controversial comment she made about the Steubenville rape case.

Williams was being interviewed by Rolling Stone when the topic of the Steubenville rape case came up. And even though she said she didn’t blame the young woman who was raped, Williams appeared to sympathize more with the rapists than the victim.

“Do you think it was fair, what they got? They did something stupid, but I don’t know,” she said. “I’m not blaming the girl, but if you’re a 16-year-old and you’re drunk like that, your parents should teach you — don’t take drinks from other people.”

Williams added, “She’s 16, why was she that drunk where she doesn’t remember? It could have been much worse. She’s lucky. Obviously I don’t know, maybe she wasn’t a virgin, but she shouldn’t have put herself in that position, unless they slipped her something, then that’s different.”

Shortly after Williams’ comments began circulating online, the tennis star issued a statement saying that she had reached out the victim’s family to apologize for what was written in the article.

She went on to say, “What was written — what I supposedly said — is insensitive and hurtful, and I by no means would say or insinuate that she was at all to blame.”

But the first “apology” didn’t seem to placate anyone — in fact, the fact that Williams tried to exculpate herself and pass blame to the interviewer seemed to upset people even more. Williams addressed the matter again, this time denouncing the entire Steubenville portion of the interview.

“I apologize for everything that was said in that article. I feel like, you know, you say things without having all the information,” she said. “It’s really important before you make certain comments to have a full list, have all the information, all the facts.”

She then went on to say that she has been in touch with the victim and her mother, and that they are “constantly in contact.”

What do you think of Serena Williams’ second apology?

[Photo credit: Neale Cousland / Shutterstock.com]