Snoop Dogg was emotional after his first viewing of King Richard
King Richard, a biopic that depicts the life of Venus and Serena Williams and their father Richard Williams, has received several accolades and has also been the subject of rapturous write-ups by fans and critics alike.
Lead actor Will Smith won an Oscar for his performance as Richard – the ambitious and protective father of Venus and Serena Williams in a movie that attempts to encapsulate the bond between the principal characters.
Among the many who failed to hide their emotions after watching the docu-drama was American rapper Snoop Dogg, who took to social media to express his feelings about the much talked-about film.
“Damn, I just watched King Richard. The Williams family, shoutout to my cousin Aunjanue, who played the mother, Will Smith, and the little girls that played Venus and Serena. Y’all got me crying on this tour bus,” Snoop Dogg said.
Snoop Dogg’s cousin Aunjanue Ellis played the role of the mother, Oracene Price, in the film, which was released in 2021.
Venus and Serena Williams are listed as executive producers of the film and, Serena spoke on the beauty of positive representation of black fathers in media.
“I think it was a great opportunity to see how amazing African-American fathers are. A lot of black men aren’t seen in that light. And a lot of people think that my dad was a different character. He wanted us to have fun first over anything. That’s the thing that I loved most,” Serena Williams said.
The many who loved Venus and Serena Williams’ biopic King Richard – and the few who didn’t
Despite the many awards, the film also made news for a few who disapproved of certain portions of the docu-drama.
Former tennis star Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario was of the opinion that her character in the film wasn’t portrayed in a proper light.
Arantxa partners Martina Navratilova at a US Open match
On a Spanish radio program called El Larguero, the former World No 1 questioned the manner in which a match involving her and Venus Williams was shown in the movie.
The scene in question is with regard to a match where Venus Williams is ahead 6-2, 3-1 before Sanchez takes a bathroom break and then goes on to win the encounter.
The former champion, however, was quoted as saying that the the on-screen events did not correspond to the actual facts.
“The moment they painted me as a very bad person was when I am losing 2-6 and 1-3 is totally incorrect. I was in the lead, as far as I know,” Sanchez said.
Despite Sanchez’s objections to the above scene, the Spaniard also mentioned that she was well acquainted with and close to the Williams family.
