Aahana Swrup
Reinaldo Marcus Green’s sports biographical film, ‘King Richard’ focuses on the titular Richard Williams and his significant contribution to Tennis legends Venus and Serena Williams’ training as athletes. Although the narrative remains centered around the father, it also highlights the notable role of the family’s matriarch, Oracene “Brandy” Williams, played in the girls’ upbringing by supporting and coaching them through life. Consequently, the real-life woman behind the on-screen character becomes an instant object of intrigue, inviting fans’ curiosity regarding her off-screen reality, including her current whereabouts.
Oracene Price: A Constant Support in Her Children’s Lives
In the early days of Venus and Serena’s tennis training, Richard Williams had to quit his regular job to maintain a one-minded focus on building his daughters’ athletic skills and careers. At the time, the Williams family was made up of seven members, including Oracene’s three daughters — Yetunde, Lyndrea, and Isha — from a previous marriage. As a result, with five kids, Oracene Williams, nee, Price became the family’s sole breadwinner, independently fulfilling their financial needs with her job as a nurse. Even so, the mother still found the time to remain supportive and helpful in her daughters, Venus and Serena’s athletic endeavors, training and coaching them alongside her husband in her own way.
The fruit of Oracene and Richard’s hard work and labor arrived with their daughters’ shining athletic careers as both Venus and Serena became cultural touchstones in the world of tennis and sport. Oracene remained a frequent fixture in the stands for her daughters’ various matches and tournaments, with her presence becoming an expected courtside occurrence for when a Williams was playing. Similarly, she also participated in interviews to discuss her daughters and their careers. Naturally, the same continued to be true even when the woman decided to part ways with Richard once their marriage started coming to an end.
In 2000, Oracene and Richard stopped living together, and by 2002 — 22 years into their marriage — the couple filed for divorce on account of their reported irreconcilable differences. A year later, the family underwent another drastic change as tragedy struck on September 14, when Yetunde Price died an untimely death at the age of 31. According to reports, the woman was killed in her hometown of Campton, California, in a drive-by shooting while with her fiancé, Rolland Wormley.
In 2004, Serena Williams spoke about the tragedy. “She [Yetunde] was a wonderful person,” she said. “We’re [The Williams and Price family] dealing with it however we can. Some days are better than others.” Since then, Robert Edward Maxfield has been sentenced for the crime and was released on parole in 2018. As a result of her preference for privacy, Oracene grieved out of the public eye and hasn’t spoken about the catastrophic loss of her daughter in public.
Thus, keeping her public perception limited to her connection to Venus and Serena’s careers, Oracene last made headlines in 2022, during Serena Williams’ ultimate match in the US Open Tournament. Despite Serena’s retirement from the sport at the moment, fans can expect to see more of Oracene Price as she will undoubtedly continue supporting Venus in her thriving career.
Oracene Price Leads a Private Life Today
Oracene Price seems to prefer a private life, free of social media accounts and media appearances. While her ex-husband, Richard Williams, ended up remarrying in 2010, eight years after their separation— and has since filed for divorce again— no public records have yet surfaced that suggest Oracene entered a serious relationship after the dissolution of her second marriage. Since the woman keeps public news and sightings surrounding her limited to her athlete daughters and their careers, there’s no update available regarding her personal life. Still, fans can catch snippets of it on her kids’ social channels— especially Venus and Serena’s well-known Instagram accounts, where they often share posts about their family.
Furthermore, both sisters have spoken about Oracene and her instrumental influence in their lives. Serena Williams once spoke about her mother, in 2020, asserting the woman as the family’s spine— a constant source of support. In doing so, she established her mother’s essential presence in her life and career. Likewise, Venus has also shared her appreciation and love for Oracene, penning a piece about her mother on her website, Eleven by Venus Williams. “My father soaked up the spotlight alarger-than-lifelife character who created two tennis phenoms, but it was my mother who was the backbone and driving force behind both him, Serena, and I,” Venus wrote. “She provided the balance and stability, both emotionally and spiritually. She raised all of her daughters to be strong, confident, unrelentingly successful women. Not just on the court but in life as human beings. I’m forever grateful.”
Read More: Richard Williams: Where is Serena and Venus’ Dad Now?
