Serena Williams’ husband Alexis Ohanian issues strong-worded response to troll threatening to bring hecklers to Athlos 2025

Serena Williams' husband, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, got into a fiery exchange with a troll who tried to disrupt the buzz around ATHLOS NYC25. It's a women-only premier track and field event celebrating sport, sound, and culture under the lights.

It all started after Ohanian used his X account to promote the event. The ATHLOS NYC2025 event, founded by Ohanian, will take place on October 10 in New York City. He wrote:

"Will I see you there? Under the lights. A night of excellence in sport & culture. Speed & Sound."

However, X user “Mr 100k a day” hijacked the thread, sarcastically asking:

“I’m coming!!!!! Are we allowed to heckle the athletes at this meet? GRAND SLAM TRACK DIDN’T LIKE IT AND NOW THEY BANKRUPT!!!!”

Alexis Ohanian responded in style, sharing an ESPN article talking about a heckler being banned for harassing Olympian Gabby Thomas.

“You bring this kind of harassing behavior here and you’ll get tossed,” he wrote.

But the troll didn’t stop. They claimed they were “bringing 10 hecklers” to the event and also tagged track advocate @TheErinBrown.

"Im definitely coming. Bringing 10 Hecklers with me!!!! Me @TheErinBrown and the rest of the squad!!!!" the troll wrote.

Finally, Alexis Ohanian issued a strong-worded response asking the troll to do something useful with his time. He wrote:

"Or you could get a job? Start a family? Anything productive or useful."

Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian uses AI to shut down the troll

The discussion didn't stop there. After Alexis Ohanian's strong-worded response, the troll threw dirt at the event's founder while bringing up First Amendment rights to free speech.

"No!!!! I have a career and I have a family!!! Wife and kids!!!" @Mr100kaday wrote. "Raising my black kids every single day!!! All that money you got and my wife is still hotter than yours!!!! You know nothing about track and field."

"I know you got money to blow on this charity track meet because you did the crypto scam like alot of other celebrities...but do you think your womens only league for track wont fail? I have a first amendment right to heckle!!!! You push first amendment....when its convienent and to push your interracial feminist agenda!!!!" they added.

Ohanian took the help of AI to make the troll understand that in a private event, the First Amendment's free speech right goes out the window. He posted a screenshot with his query to an AI model, asking to explain that the First Amendment doesn't apply to a private event. The AI model wrote:

"The First Amendment only stops the government from limiting free speech. If you're at a private event - like a concert, a conference, or someone's house - the people running it can set whatever rules they want. It's their space, not public property. So no, yelling "free speech!" doesn't apply there."

Tagging the troll, Ohanian posted:

After this message, the troll has yet to respond. But it seems Ohanian knows what he is doing and how to tackle a heckler on the internet.