Serena Williams Rips 'New York Times' Coverage of Her Venture Fund's Success

Photo Courtesy of Serena Ventures

Her Venture Fund Raised $111 million, but 'NYT' Posted Picture of Williams' Sister With its Reporting on Serena Ventures Milestone

It’s been a big week for tennis icon Serena Williams.

Tuesday, the superstar’s venture capital firm, Serena Ventures, announced it has raised $111 million via its blog. It was a huge coup for the company that says it will “invest in founders who solve everyday problems through unconventional thinking and diverse points of view.”

Reaching the milestone drew high praise from 23andMe CEO and co-founder Anne Wojcicki, a limited partner in Serena Ventures who knows something about raising capital.

"I have been so impressed with Serena Ventures and the extraordinary mentorship and support they provide entrepreneurs,” she said. “Serena has built an exceptional team of diverse experts with branding expertise and strategic advice to help founders as they navigate building their companies.”

By Wednesday, however, Williams wasn’t focused on talking about the firm's portfolio of 60 angel investments or championing the companies it has invested in — including fintech companies Cointracker and Propel, and edtech Masterclass — amongst others. Instead, she was calling out the “New York Times” for its coverage of her landmark moment.

"No matter how far we come, we get reminded that it's not enough," Williams said on Twitter on Wednesday, pointing out the fact that the Old Gray Lady ran a picture of her sister, and fellow tennis legend, Venus Williams with the story. "This is why I raised $111M for @serenaventures. To support the founders who are overlooked by engrained systems woefully unaware of their biases. Because even I am overlooked."

This was our mistake. It was due to an error when selecting photos for the print edition, and it did not appear online. A correction will appear in tomorrow’s paper.

— NYT Business (@nytimesbusiness) March 2, 2022

She ended her tweet by saying, "You can do better, @nytimes."

The Times took credit for the mistake in a response to the Twitter thread.

"It was due to an error when selecting photos for the print edition, and it did not appear online," the NYT Business account tweeted. "A correction will appear in tomorrow's paper."

Watch: Aretha Franklin's Granddaughter Auditions for 'American Idol'

Grace Franklin on "American Idol."

Even coming from a royal lineage is not a guarantee to get you a spot on "American Idol."

Grace Franklin, the 15-year-old granddaughter of the Queen of Soul, found that out the hard way when she auditioned for the long-running musical talent show on its 20th season premiere Sunday.

When asked how she came to stand before the judges, the teenager said, "My grandma is Aretha Franklin."

The statement elicited surprise from R&B legend Lionel Richie.

"Stop right there, that's your grandma!" exclaimed the "All Night Long" singer.

Unfortunately for young Grace, the elation would not last.

The music neophyte, who shared with the audience in a pre-taped segment before the audition, "I don't think I could fully grasp the fact that she [Franklin] was known worldwide, because to me she was always just grandma," sang two songs.

Her take on "Killing Me Softly," as popularized by Lauryn Hill of the Fugees, was called "a little sleepy and subdued" by country superstar and "Idol" judge Luke Bryan. Her next attempt at Franklin's hit "Ain't No Way," was agreed to be more "in her lane" by the judges, but that was not enough to sway Bryan and Richie who voted for her not to advance.

Bryan sternly declared, "For right now I'm a no," before Richie took a slightly gentler approach on the deciding vote.

"Grace Franklin, I love you and I think the best thing for you in life is to take a shot at going backwards," he said. "Go back and get a running start and come at this again."

Perry, who voted her through to the show's next round, stormed off the stage following the decision.

As she exited the judges' chambers the "Teenage Dream" singer said, "She's got stardust on her! There's something wrong with your ears. Y'all are insane!"

Richie, however, was not done. He rose from his seat to address Grace directly and told her, "Trust me! If you go and come back and put the shyness behind you and the voice in front of you, you're going to be something amazing and I don't want to be the one to make you tip over and fall at this stage," and gave her a hug.

Watch the full audition below:

'Yayo' Rapper, Snootie Wild, Found Dead in Houston

Courtesy of Krystal Meredith

Yo Gotti protégé Snootie Wild is dead at 36.

The Memphis, Tennesee, rapper best known for his 2014 hit "Yayo," was found shot in the neck next to an SUV in a ditch early Friday morning in Houston.

Police told local ABC-TV affiliate KTRK that Porter backed up into the ditch accidentally, and he was shot by individuals who pulled up to the scene.

“They were talking for a little bit, and then all of a sudden, gunfire went off," Houston Police Department spokesman Lt. Ronald Willkens said.

Surveillance video obtained by HPD shows a white vehicle with two men and one woman inside arriving on the scene before a single shot was fired into Wild's SUV.

The shooting occurred at around 2 a.m. By Friday afternoon, rumors of Wild's death were sweeping social media.

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A post shared by DJ Paul K.O.M. Three 6 Mafia (@djpaulkom)

Those claims were refuted by his official Facebook page which said the hip-hop artist, who received CPR at the scene and was sent to a local hospital in critical condition, was still alive.

"Snootie is not DEAD! But he is fighting for his life," read the post. "Out of respect for the family, please refrain from sharing anything that is not communicated through his official accounts. Thank you."

But, Saturday on his official Instagram, post the family confirmed his death.

“Gone in body, but your NAME & LEGACY will live forever! #TeamYayo4Life,” the post read.

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A post shared by Snootie Wild (@snootiewild)

Wild, whose real name was LePreston Porter, had moved to the city in recent years according to his fiance and manager Krystal Meredith. She said he had "major" plans for releasing new music.

"He was very active in the industry, and they literally just cut it short," Meredith told the Houston Chroncile. "But overall he was the glue for his family and friends.”

She also said the killing of the father of five was a tragedy.

“Snootie was a rapper but he was also a great individual," Meredith said. "He was a loving father … and we don’t understand how this could have happened or why it happened. We want justice in his killing.”

It may be some time before that happens.

Willkens said officers were “sitting on” what they believed to be the suspects’ vehicle, found near the shooting scene, but it's unclear whether any arrests were made. A motive has yet to be identified by investigators.