Serena Williams’ husband, Alexis Ohanian Sr., went viral on Twitter for his controversial bathing habits.
A Twitter user named Joel Saxon went viral for a poll asking if his followers are “full-body washers” or “armpits and genitals only” type? Another user pointed out that mainly white people exercise these hygiene techniques.
The Reddit co-founder seemingly agreed and confessed that his wife put him on to washcloths. “I wasn’t this bad, but my wife definitely taught me what a washcloth was.”
😂 I wasn't this bad, but my wife definitely taught me what a washcloth was. https://t.co/h3JHO1reIX
— Alexis Ohanian Sr. 7️⃣7️⃣6️⃣ (@alexisohanian) November 11, 2020
One user asked, “Wait… so what did you think the little towel in hotels was for?” Alexis quipped, “maybe decoration? I just thought the bar of soap was an overachiever and could do it all.”
Although the joke was on him, Ohanian used it as a moment to “deprogram the bullsh*t this country grew up on.”
“Lots of mad people in the comments. I think it’s worth having a laugh at my own expense, because it helps de-program the bulls**t this country grew up with,” he wrote.
Lots of mad people in the comments. I think it's worth having a laugh at my own expense, because it helps de-program the bullshit this country grew up with: pic.twitter.com/LuLE8x0cta
— Alexis Ohanian Sr. 7️⃣7️⃣6️⃣ (@alexisohanian) November 11, 2020
Alexis continued adding clarification to his comment. “(The narrative of White people thinking we epitomize cleanliness.)”
(The narrative of White people thinking we epitomize cleanliness.)
— Alexis Ohanian Sr. 7️⃣7️⃣6️⃣ (@alexisohanian) November 11, 2020
The couple got married three years ago and share a daughter, Olympia. He has made efforts to shed his implicit bias and stand in solitude with the Black community by stepping down from his company and urging that he’s replaced by a Black board member.
“I’ve resigned as a member of the reddit board, I have urged them to fill my seat with a black candidate, + I will use future gains on my Reddit stock to serve the black community, chiefly to curb racial hate, and I’m starting with a pledge of $1M to @kaepernick7’s @yourrightscamp,” he tweeted.
Alexis Ohanian says his daughter motivated him to step down from his 15-year company that subtly contributed to the systematic racism that oppresses his newly built family. “I’m saying this as a father who needs to be able to answer his black daughter when she asks: ‘What did you do?'”
I've resigned as a member of the reddit board, I have urged them to fill my seat with a black candidate, + I will use future gains on my Reddit stock to serve the black community, chiefly to curb racial hate, and I’m starting with a pledge of $1M to @kaepernick7’s @yourrightscamp
— Alexis Ohanian Sr. 7️⃣7️⃣6️⃣ (@alexisohanian) June 5, 2020