Serena Williams Criticizes Hotel Cotton Decoration

During a stay at an unnamed New York City hotel while in town for the SKIMS × Nike launch, Serena Williams posted Instagram Stories focusing on a cotton plant in a hallway and asked followers, “How do we feel about cotton as decoration?” She plucked a cotton boll, rubbed it on her nail, described it as “unnatural” or like “nail-polish remover cotton,” and visibly shuddered. The footage went viral and drew mixed social-media reactions — some interpreted her discomfort as a reference to cotton’s historical ties to slavery, while others called the response overblown — and the hotel has not issued a public response. Reporters also linked the moment to broader scrutiny of Williams, noting her promotional role with telehealth company Ro and her use of GLP-1 weight-loss treatments (including Zepbound), which she said helped her lose about 31 pounds in eight months.