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19 June 2013updated 26 Sep 2015 1:01pm

The art of the non-apology: Serena Williams

How to sound sorry without saying "sorry".

By Alex Hern

While writing a profile of tennis star Serena Williams for Rolling Stone magazine, published yesterday evening, reporter Stephen Rodrick took time out to watch TV with her. He writes:

We watch the news for a while, and the infamous Steubenville rape case flashes on the TV – two high school football players raped a drunk 16-year-old, while other students watched and texted details of the crime. Serena just shakes her head. “Do you think it was fair, what they got? They did something stupid, but I don’t know. I’m not blaming the girl, but if you’re a 16-year-old and you’re drunk like that, your parents should teach you: Don’t take drinks from other people. She’s 16, why was she that drunk where she doesn’t remember? It could have been much worse. She’s lucky. Obviously, I don’t know, maybe she wasn’t a virgin, but she shouldn’t have put herself in that position, unless they slipped her something, then that’s different.”

Williams was immediately rebuked for the comments, and has since released a “statement” – reported as an apology, but not really any such thing:

“What happened in Steubenville was a real shock for me. I was deeply saddened. For someone to be raped, and at only sixteen, is such a horrible tragedy! For both families involved – that of the rape victim and of the accused. I am currently reaching out to the girl’s family to let her know that I am deeply sorry for what was written in the Rolling Stone article. What was written – what I supposedly said – is insensitive and hurtful, and I by no means would say or insinuate that she was at all to blame.

I have fought all of my career for women’s equality, women’s equal rights, respect in their fields – anything I could do to support women I have done. My prayers and support always goes out to the rape victim. In this case, most especially, to an innocent sixteen year old child.”

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“I’m sorry you were offended” is the most famous sort of non-apology, but this even more mealy-mouthed. Referring to “what I supposedly said” seems designed to cast doubt on Rodrick’s reporting without actually calling him a liar. She ends up basically attributing the comments to him, referring to “what was written” as “hurtful”, rather than what was actually said. If Williams thinks she was misquoted, she should say that, and ask Rolling Stone to release the tapes. If, as seems likely, this is just misdirection, aimed at turning it into a “he-said-she-said” story, then she should be ashamed.

Some of the press are reporting this as an “apology” from Williams. Apologies normally include the word “sorry”.

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