Serena Williams left uncomfortable with NYC hotel's cotton plant decoration: 'Doesn't feel great'

daily mail ^ | 9/25/2025 | JAKE FENNER, US SPORTS WRITER

[RummyChick]

Serena Williams has spoken of her discomfort after she spotted a cotton plant in a New York City hotel.

The retired tennis star was in the Big Apple on Thursday after promoting Kim Kardashian's SKIMS/Nike launch the day prior.

The 43-year-old recorded her walk down the hallway of an undisclosed hotel and spotted a table with a vase of cotton plants.

[Texas Eagle]

Is that Serena’s natural hair color?

[Texas Eagle]

Notice how she couldn't help but pick it?

JYST KIDDING!!JYST A HARMLESS LITTLE JOKE THERE!!

[Blood of Tyrants]

What a snowflake. The mere sight of a cotton plant as a decoration gives her the vapors.

[Texas Eagle]

I hear Martina Navritalova felt the same way when she discovered a Pussy Willow floral decoration outside her hotel room.

I don't even know what that means.

[real saxophonist]

I, a white boy, picked cotton as a kid in Georgia. it was a summer job, white kids, black kids, we all did it.

Didn't grow up in the country club like Serena.

[RummyChick]

Is NYC cold enough to wear gloves now or is she just trying to be high falutin’

[Racketeer]

Anything for attention. It amazes me how so many must continue to find a way to make people dislike them.

All races have been enslaved. I pray people can get that “slave monkey off of their back” and get on with their lives.

[Tommy Revolts]

What a joke.

The Hohokam Indian tribe was growing it thousands of years ago here in the southwest. Arizona is cotton
country on an ancient scale! Some of the best cotton in the world, Pima Cotton, was developed and grown in Arizona.

Mostly picked by whitey. Oh Lordy, pick a bale of cotton.

[Secret Agent Man]

She suffers from HERE syndrome - Hypersensitive Everything is Racist Everywhere syndrome.

She has/can wear cotton, make commercials for clothes that are cotton, but because shes black somehow can’t look at a cotton plant.

What a little baby. Oh, a little black female baby, more specifically.

[sheana]

Lamont Ca. My grandmother and grandfather picked cotton. I went to work with them a few times when I was out of school.

[Flaming Conservative]

Oh for crying out loud!

[TLI]

Cotton

The only cotton Silly ever picked was socks from Wally World.

.

[PghBaldy]

She’s a billionaire, I believe. She should do some volunteer work to help her put things in perspective. I seriously doubt it caused her any trauma.

[HereInTheHeartland]

Now wait a cotton picking minute, what’s the problem here?

[Fiji Hill]

So cotton is now racist. I’ll have to add it to my list of racist things. Here is the list as of 9/25/25:
Calisthenics
Camping
Chicken and waffles
Classical music
Dr. Seuss
Geology
Hiking
Mathematics
Mike (having that as a first or middle name)
Milk
Nuclear families
Organizing your pantry
Punctuality
Running
Setting an agenda
Swimming
Watermelons
Weight control

[Flaming Conservative]

My mother (white and Am. Indian) and her family picked cotton in Arkansas. She hated it, but it was their cash crop.

[Bullish]

Hey Serena, keep in mind you’ve never picked cotton in your life. You have America to thank for that, but I doubt that it’s ever donned on you.

[Bob434]

I wonder if that is her natural hair color?

[GingisK]

Did she get an overpowering urge to harvest them?

[Steve_Seattle]

Does Serena wear any clothes that contain cotton?