Serena Williams slammed a 5-star Paris hotel for denying her and her family entry to its rooftop restaurant.
Williams traveled to Paris for the 2024 Olympics with her husband and their two daughters. During their stay at The Peninsula Paris, they were allegedly denied access to the rooftop.
“Yikes @peninsulaparis I’ve been denied access to rooftop to eat in a empty restaurant of nicer places 🫠 but never with my kids,” Serena wrote on X. “Always a first. 🙄#Olympic2024”
At first, many fans on X were Team Serena, coming to her defense.
“Who doesn’t make room for a queen? 👸” one person wrote.
However, the hotel responded to clear the air with a reasonable apology and explanation.
“Dear Mrs. Williams,” they wrote in response. “Please accept our deepest apologies for the disappointment you encountered tonight. Unfortunately, our rooftop bar was indeed fully booked and the only unoccupied tables you saw belonged to our gourmet restaurant, L’Oiseau Blanc, which was fully reserved.”
“We have always been honored to welcome you and will always be to welcome you again,” The Peninsula Paris continued.
Serena Williams Faces Backlash for Slamming Paris Hotel
Once the hotel responded, many X users shared their dismay about Serena’s original post.
“The restaurant replied and said they were fully booked. Please don’t start acting entitled and that they should make space for you just because of who you are,” one person wrote.
“Now, why don’t you give an apology to the restaurant for acting like an overprivileged brat. So you just expected someone else to lose their seat because you are Serena,” another added. “Sorry your privilege card doesn’t work everywhere.”
“Using your fame to trash a restaurant because they did not bend to your entitled demands is being the worst type of person,” wrote a third. “I thought you were better than this???”
A fourth user labeled Serena as “tone deaf.”
“A lot of us are just trying to afford groceries these days,” they said. “I respect celebs who use their name to help others or animals, not whine about not getting preferential treatment.”