Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian is speaking out amid a flurry of criticism over his attendance at President Donald Trump's UFC Freedom 250 event, held Sunday at the White House.
On Wednesday night, Ohanian issued a statement on X and other social media platforms condemning UFC fighter Josh Hokit's "vile and inappropriate" remark about former first lady Michelle Obama, noting he was "on my way home" at the time Hokit gave the interview that included the comment.
The Reddit co-founder also gave a short explanation as to why he made an appearance at the event, which was also attended by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, podcaster Joe Rogan and comedian Nate Bargatze, among others.
"I attended the UFC event via invitation from TKO/IMG leadership (I own 5 pro sports teams + a league). I was already on my way home when those comments were made and was glad to see Dana condemn them," he said, referring to UFC CEO Dana White.
He went on to note: "For context: I resigned in protest from Reddit (the company I co-founded and built for over a decade) specifically to push it to curb communities for hate and violence on the site."
As of Thursday morning, Ohanian's post had drawn a plethora of negative responses, with many people questioning the tech entrepreneur's reasoning.
"You shouldn't have been there. You're an epic disappointment," one person wrote on X. "With a dynamic and conscious Black wife and Black children being harmed by this administration, you put your cronies over your family AND this country. Shame on you."
Added another, "Just because you were invited doesn't mean you had to go. 'I was in the car when the hateful thing was said' doesn't negate the fact that you were there in the first place."
Ohanian and Williams have been married since 2017. He and the tennis legend share daughters Olympia, 8, and Adira, 2. Though Ohanian does not appear to have made any public endorsements in recent elections, he's been critical of Trump in the past, most notably in October when he spoke out against the president's stance on immigration.
"As the son of an undocumented immigrant (my mom overstayed an au pair visa for years before marrying my dad, a U.S. citizen), it's deeply personal: Reddit wouldn't exist if ICE had come for her," he wrote on X. "I do think border security matters. But it shouldn't come at the cost of crushing lives."
Ohanian isn't the first public figure who isn't an established supporter of Trump and the president's MAGA agenda but has since attempted to justify their appearance at UFC Freedom 250. On Monday, a representative for Bargatze — who notably went out of his way to avoid politics when he hosted the Emmy Awards last year — told HuffPost in an email that the comedian has "fans from both sides of the aisle" and simply wanted "to enjoy a sport he loves."
"Nate is family friendly entertainment first," the rep continued. "He is not political nor is anything he produces. He is also a huge UFC fan and has been since before it became political."
