Serena and Venus Williams: Jane Campion’s 'ignorant' remark criticised

Filmmaker Jane Campion has been criticised for a remark regarding Venus and Serena Williams at the 2022 Critics Choice Awards. 

Campion, who directed the movie The Power of the Dog, won the award for Best Director and referenced the tennis duo in her acceptance speech. 

Both Venus and Serena were in attendance at the ceremony as King Richard, the biopic about their father, starring Will Smith, had also been nominated in multiple categories. 

After accepting her award, Campion addressed the Williams sisters and said: “Venus and Serena, you’re such marvels. However, you don’t play against the guys, like I have to.”

The director was seemingly referencing the fact she snubbed five other men to win the award –– beating out acclaimed nominees such as Steven Spielberg, Kenneth Branagh, Paul Thomas Anderson, Guillermo del Toro and Dennis Villeneuve. 

Yet, while the comment appeared to be well received by the audience, Campion has since been called out on social media for the remark, with many arguing she was attempting to diminish the tennis stars’ achievements. 

Journalist Bonga Dlulane wrote: “Jane Campion messed up big there. She could have thanked the people and gone after misogyny and sexism without involving the Williams sisters. Does she think they haven’t had to deal with sexism, misogyny and racism?”

Meanwhile, others echoed this idea. “Jane Campion trying to compete in the oppression Olympics with Venus and Serena as if the Williams sisters don’t have three Olympic gold medals in doubles and each [won] individual gold in 2000 and 2012,” one user said. 

A third added: “Just reading about Jane Campion’s uncalled for swipe at Venus & Serena. To think Campion has had it worse is to diminish the Williams sisters’ utterly