Serena Williams was made uncomfortable this week as she exited her New York City hotel due to a piece of decor known to be triggering for some.<\/p>\n
The tennis champ<\/a>, 44, shared video via her Instagram Stories Thursday (Sept. 25) of her walking down her hotel hallway toward a decorative cotton plant, leading her to question how her followers feel about it as she visibly shuddered at the sight. This is due to the cotton plant\u2019s association with transatlantic slave labor.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cAlright, everyone. How do we feel about cotton as decoration?\u201d she\u00a0asked fans<\/a>. \u201cPersonally for me, it doesn\u2019t feel great.\u201d She also picked a single ball of cotton off of a branch, telling followers that it \u201cfeels like nail polish remover cotton,\u201d before shuddering and walking away.<\/p>\n The athlete was in New York City to support friend Kim Kardashian at a lavish dinner<\/a> celebrating the launch of\u00a0NikeSKIMS<\/a>. Other guests included Teyana Taylor,\u00a0Latto, Travis Scott, Gayle Mitchell, and Martha Stewart.<\/p>\n \u201cOur mission is clear: to redefine women\u2019s activewear without compromise,\u201d\u00a0Kim K said\u00a0of the collaboration. \u201cThis collection brings together cutting-edge performance with bold, style-forward design, empowering athletes \u2014 from elite competitors to everyday gym enthusiasts \u2014 to move effortlessly and conquer their goals with confidence.\u201d<\/p>\n Jet-setter Williams also turned heads just one day prior in Italy, as she walked in the Gucci runway show<\/a> as a part of Spring\/Summer 2026 Milan Fashion Week. Check out images below.<\/p>\n More from VIBE.com<\/p>\n Sign up for Vibe’s Newsletter<\/a>. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook<\/a>, Twitter<\/a>, and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n