SCARY

Serena Williams Details Medical Scare After Giving Birth

Tennis superstar spent six days undergoing surgeries due to pulmonary embolism.

In an interview paired with Vogue’s February cover, Serena Williams details the harrowing medical scare that followed the September birth of her daughter, Olympia. Williams said she gave birth via emergency C-section, and then developed blood clots on her lungs, sending her into a six-day medical ordeal that involved multiple surgeries to deal with the pulmonary embolism. “Everything went bad,” she told the magazine. Williams said she was bed-ridden for the first six weeks of motherhood, adding a scary drama to the already emotional and physically demanding aftermath of having a baby. “No one talks about the low moments—the pressure you feel, the incredible letdown every time you hear the baby cry,” she said. “I’ve broken down I don’t know how many times. Or I’ll get angry about the crying, then sad about being angry, and then guilty, like, Why do I feel so sad when I have a beautiful baby? The emotions are insane.”