Fans race to defend Serena Williams against critics who blame her blonde hair and makeup for Paris restaurant accident

Now that the Paris Olympics are over, fans can reminisce concerning the highs and lows, the triumphs and defeats, and the hairstyles and taboos of their favorite sports stars — in fact, we’re talking about Serena Williams.

Although Williams cheered on athletes from the sidelines throughout the Paris Games, she found herself at the middle of events when she and her family were denied entry to the elegant rooftop restaurant L’Oiseau Blanc on the famed Peninsula Hotel throughout the Olympics, leaving many wondering whether the misfortune was due to racial or national discrimination.

The restaurant’s first claim — that the tennis icon simply didn’t have a reservation — turned out to be off the mark. An worker recently claimed that “unrecognizable,” according to Variety. The athlete has been criticized for his hair and makeup decisions, even keeping off accusations that he lightened his skin prior to now.

But Williams holds no grudge against the City of Light. In an August 12 Instagram post, she shared two dreamy photos of herself standing on the Parisian balcony of her Airbnb overlooking the town.

She wore honey-blond hair and a pink mini dress with matching pumps. She captioned the photos, “Paris is always a good idea.”

Time for comments.

“Except when they won’t let you go up to the roof to eat dinner with your family because they don’t recognize you since you have that blonde lace front hairdo,” said one critic, who blamed the restaurant’s lack of acceptance on Williams’ hair.

Following the incident, some social media users called the Compton resident “entitled” and demanded an apology. Several latest comments echoed that sentiment, claiming she played the race card to get a table. “Wasn’t she the one who screamed racism when she couldn’t get a table at a restaurant that was booked?” one wrote.

Williams’ fans aren’t letting the judgmental comments linger, and they’re coming to her defense online. While the mother-of-two never said exactly why she was denied entry with her family, many can’t shake the sensation that it was out of disrespect — and her hair or perceived sense of superiority had nothing to do with it.

“I really don’t like how this restaurant treated you and your beautiful family,” a follower wrote. Another follower referenced Ayesha Curry’s recent incident weird brush with the Paris police, referring to deeper problems.

The wife of Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry was supposed to be celebrating her team’s golden victory with her husband, but as a substitute she got right into a police altercation at a police roadblock in Paris.

In the alarming video that surfaced on August 11, Ayesha was shown holding her 3-month-old son, Caius, in a carrier, while her older son, Canon, was by her side as police surrounded her. The mother-of-four was seen in tears, and Warriors forward Draymond Green may very well be heard on the recording saying something about hitting the kid in the top.

“How racist are they?? Really? I love you Serena, but considering the way we were treated there from Jasmine to Ayesha and what I experienced myself, we don’t ever have to go back to Paris,” one supporter wrote on Instagram, while one other joked: “Not if they hit your kid in the head.”

User X also joined the fight, introducing herself as a part of a gaggle of “childless cat people”, quick cut with a sarcastic comment in support of Williams.

They wrote: “A Parisian restaurant failed to recognize Serena Williams because she arrived as a black woman. She should have known better and blonded her skin L’Oiseau Blanc style. C’est dommage, madame. Je suis désolée.”

Now that the Olympics are over, the world’s stars and athletes are preparing to say goodbye to Paris — some perhaps for good. But irrespective of where Williams finds herself next, her fans will certainly follow her lead, as one commentator summed up:

“Serena Williams is always a good idea.”