"I won't stop this fight until every American has the same opportunity I had" - Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian on paid paternity leave

Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian has reaffirmed his commitment to advocating for paid parental leave, inspired by his own experience of taking time off to be with his older daughter, Olympia and newborn baby, Adira.

Williams and Ohanian welcomed their second child, a daughter named Adira River, in August. The Reddit co-founder has since taken some time off from his professional responsibilities to prioritize his family's needs.

Ohanian shared a glimpse into his paternity leave experience on social media, posting a picture of him and his daughters watching the popular show "Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir" together.

He also highlighted the importance of paternity leave, emphasizing how his own time off has been very good for their family.

"One month into my #PaternityLeave, as grateful as I am that Adira's birth was smooth & Serena has been recovering well; this leave has been vital for our family," he posted.

Ohanian shared that the need for paid leave for new parents became evident to him after Serena Williams suffered life-threatening complications while giving birth to their daughter Olympia in 2017.

"With Olympia, watching my wife fight for her life, I realized not having paid leave was unconscionable. Sure, all my employees had it, but the vast majority of Americans don't — and that includes new moms (1 in 4 women in the US return to work within 2 weeks of childbirth)," he wrote.

"If you know me, you know I don't like just talking, I believe in action. I started this fight when Olympia was born because I realized how lucky I was and we took the fight to Congress and did get 12 weeks of parental leave for all federal employees (and recently including military!) — we have much more to do. More to come," he added.

The 40-year-old vowed to continue the fight for paid parental leave until all Americans could enjoy the same benefits.

"And I won't stop this fight until every American has the same opportunity I had — and doesn't need to choose between their family and their career when welcoming a new child. If we believe that the family unit is the foundation of a society, we owe it to every American to set them up for success during these crucial first weeks," he commented further.

Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian reflects on his journey of fighting for paid paternity leave

Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian and daughter Olympia

Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian reflected on advocating for paid parental and family leave before the US Congress in 2019.

Highlighting the recent achievement of US military members receiving 12 weeks of paid family leave, Ohanian emphasized the importance of continuing the fight for these benefits.

"I can't believe this was THREE years ago. We can't stop fighting now, we just got 12 weeks of paid family leave for the heroic men + women of the armed forces. Every win is a step forward," he posted.

Serena Williams and her husband Alexis Ohanian, who have been in a relationship since 2015, welcomed their first child, daughter Olympia, in September 2017. The 23-time Grand Sland Slam champion gave birth to their second daughter, Adira River, in August 2023.