TIFF RED CARPET: Venus and Serena Williams are conspicuously absent at the premiere of Venus and Serena
TIFF RED CARPET: Venus and Serena Williams are conspicuously absent at the premiere of Venus and Serena
By Gregory Furgala | September 12, 2012
By Gregory Furgala | 09/12/2012
Yesterday evening’s premiere of Venus and Serena had fanfare for all the wrong reasons. Red carpet appearances by co-directors Maiken Baird and Michelle Major, siblings Wyclef and Sedeck Jean and (for some reason) current Miss California London Becs were all overshadowed by the conspicuous absence of the documentary’s stars, Venus and Serena Williams. Notoriously media-wary, the sisters apparently disagreed with Baird and Major about the portrayal of their father and coach, Richard, and pulled their support for the film in protest just hours before its first screening. Reactions to the withdrawal were mixed. Baird said it was “disappointing,” but hopes “they’ll come around in the end.” The Star quotes one filmgoer taking a different tack, suggesting that it lent the film credibility. “If it was just going to be a marketing piece for the Williams family, what’s the point?”
165838 Wyclef (top) and Sedeck Jean (Image: Christopher Drost) TIFF RED CARPET: Venus and Serena Williams are conspicuously absent at the premiere of <em>Venus and Serena</em> TIFF RED CARPET: Venus and Serena Williams are conspicuously absent at the premiere of Venus and Serena https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena_intro-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena_intro.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena_intro.jpg 656 416 [] https://torontolife.com/culture/tiff-2012-venus-and-serena-red-carpet/slide/tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena_intro/ tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena_intro 0 0
(Image: Christopher Drost)
165844 Wyclef Jean (Image: Christopher Drost) TIFF RED CARPET: Venus and Serena Williams are conspicuously absent at the premiere of <em>Venus and Serena</em> TIFF RED CARPET: Venus and Serena Williams are conspicuously absent at the premiere of Venus and Serena https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena06-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena06.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena06.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/culture/tiff-2012-venus-and-serena-red-carpet/slide/tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena06/ tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena06 0 0
(Image: Christopher Drost)
165841 Wyclef Jean (Image: Christopher Drost) TIFF RED CARPET: Venus and Serena Williams are conspicuously absent at the premiere of <em>Venus and Serena</em> TIFF RED CARPET: Venus and Serena Williams are conspicuously absent at the premiere of Venus and Serena https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena03-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena03.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena03.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/culture/tiff-2012-venus-and-serena-red-carpet/slide/tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena03/ tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena03 0 0
(Image: Christopher Drost)
165840 Sedeck Jean (Image: Christopher Drost) TIFF RED CARPET: Venus and Serena Williams are conspicuously absent at the premiere of <em>Venus and Serena</em> TIFF RED CARPET: Venus and Serena Williams are conspicuously absent at the premiere of Venus and Serena https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena02-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena02.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena02.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/culture/tiff-2012-venus-and-serena-red-carpet/slide/tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena02/ tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena02 0 0
(Image: Christopher Drost)
165845 Sedeck Jean (Image: Christopher Drost) TIFF RED CARPET: Venus and Serena Williams are conspicuously absent at the premiere of <em>Venus and Serena</em> TIFF RED CARPET: Venus and Serena Williams are conspicuously absent at the premiere of Venus and Serena https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena07-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena07.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena07.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/culture/tiff-2012-venus-and-serena-red-carpet/slide/tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena07/ tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena07 0 0
(Image: Christopher Drost)
165849 Musician Naadei Lyonnais (Image: Christopher Drost) TIFF RED CARPET: Venus and Serena Williams are conspicuously absent at the premiere of <em>Venus and Serena</em> TIFF RED CARPET: Venus and Serena Williams are conspicuously absent at the premiere of Venus and Serena https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena11-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena11.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena11.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/culture/tiff-2012-venus-and-serena-red-carpet/slide/tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena11/ tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena11 0 0
(Image: Christopher Drost)
165839 <em>Venus and Serena</em> co-directors Maiken Baird and Michelle Major (Image: Christopher Drost) TIFF RED CARPET: Venus and Serena Williams are conspicuously absent at the premiere of <em>Venus and Serena</em> TIFF RED CARPET: Venus and Serena Williams are conspicuously absent at the premiere of Venus and Serena https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena01-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena01.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena01.jpg 416 624 [] https://torontolife.com/culture/tiff-2012-venus-and-serena-red-carpet/slide/tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena01/ tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena01 0 0
(Image: Christopher Drost)
165842 Wyclef Jean (Image: Christopher Drost) TIFF RED CARPET: Venus and Serena Williams are conspicuously absent at the premiere of <em>Venus and Serena</em> TIFF RED CARPET: Venus and Serena Williams are conspicuously absent at the premiere of Venus and Serena https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena04-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena04.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena04.jpg 416 624 [] https://torontolife.com/culture/tiff-2012-venus-and-serena-red-carpet/slide/tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena04/ tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena04 0 0
(Image: Christopher Drost)
165848 Naadel Lyonnais (Image: Christopher Drost) TIFF RED CARPET: Venus and Serena Williams are conspicuously absent at the premiere of <em>Venus and Serena</em> TIFF RED CARPET: Venus and Serena Williams are conspicuously absent at the premiere of Venus and Serena https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena10-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena10.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena10.jpg 416 624 [] https://torontolife.com/culture/tiff-2012-venus-and-serena-red-carpet/slide/tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena10/ tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena10 0 0
(Image: Christopher Drost)
165843 Sedeck Jean, Maiken Baird, Wyclef Jean and Michelle Major (Image: Christopher Drost) TIFF RED CARPET: Venus and Serena Williams are conspicuously absent at the premiere of <em>Venus and Serena</em> TIFF RED CARPET: Venus and Serena Williams are conspicuously absent at the premiere of Venus and Serena https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena05-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena05.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena05.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/culture/tiff-2012-venus-and-serena-red-carpet/slide/tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena05/ tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena05 0 0
(Image: Christopher Drost)
165846 Miss California London Becs (Image: Christopher Drost) TIFF RED CARPET: Venus and Serena Williams are conspicuously absent at the premiere of <em>Venus and Serena</em> TIFF RED CARPET: Venus and Serena Williams are conspicuously absent at the premiere of Venus and Serena https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena08-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena08.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena08.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/culture/tiff-2012-venus-and-serena-red-carpet/slide/tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena08/ tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena08 0 0
(Image: Christopher Drost)
165847 Wyclef Jean and Naadel Lyonnais (Image: Christopher Drost) TIFF RED CARPET: Venus and Serena Williams are conspicuously absent at the premiere of <em>Venus and Serena</em> TIFF RED CARPET: Venus and Serena Williams are conspicuously absent at the premiere of Venus and Serena https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena09-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena09.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena09.jpg 416 624 [] https://torontolife.com/culture/tiff-2012-venus-and-serena-red-carpet/slide/tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena09/ tiff12-red-carpet-venus-and-serena09 0 0
(Image: Christopher Drost)