No, Serena Williams Did Not Die in a Fatal Car Crash, Despite What You've Heard

As one of the most decorated athletes in the history of sports, Serena Williams continues to command plenty of attention, even in retirement. Thanks to her high profile, though, she's also one of many celebrities who has to deal with regular rumors that she has died or been injured in some serious way.

The latest rumor is that Serena died in a car crash. As it continues to circulate online, many want to know whether there's any truth to it. Here's what we know.

The rumors circulating online suggested that Serena was in a car with Alexis Ohanian when the transmission in their car failed and they drifted into oncoming traffic. They further stated that both Serena and Alexis were critically injured in the accident, with some rumors suggesting that Serena had already died as a result of her injuries. In this case, the news seems to have spread at least in part thanks to videos about it on YouTube.

Fortunately, though, these videos seem to be entirely fabricated, and there have been no official news reports suggesting that Serena was actually in a car accident. Instead, these videos are designed to spread rapidly across the internet because they are spreading false information that will attract a great deal of attention. These kinds of death hoaxes are not uncommon on the internet these days.

In fact, many famous people have been rumored to have died for one reason or another at various points, and those rumors tend to spread wildly online before they are finally quashed. Everyone from Jennifer Lopez to Ellen DeGeneres has faced these kinds of rumors, and car crashes are often involved because they are a surprising way for a celebrity who does not seem to be on the verge of death to die.

Although Serena does not appear to have been involved in a car crash lately, her sister Venus was sued for wrongful death following a car crash that occurred in Florida in 2017. No charges were filed in the case, as Venus was found not to have violated the other driver's right of way. Jerome Barson, a passenger in the car, died as a result of his injuries, and his wife Linda, who was driving, sustained serious injuries.

According to police, Venus lawfully entered the intersection on a green light and was then hit by a car traveling perpendicular to her. “There are really no words to describe, like, how devastating and – yeah. I’m completely speechless,” she said at the time of the accident.

Reporting suggests that Venus and the family reached a settlement in the case, which Venus survived largely unscathed. So, while the Williams sisters have a real history of car crashes, Serena seems to be OK, and Venus's car crash scandal (for which she was not at fault) is in the rearview mirror.