How ‘King Richard’ was suspected of ‘breaking his wife’s ribs’ – but she protected him to save Serena & Venus’ careers
THE father of tennis stars Serena and Venus Williams - being portrayed by Will Smith in the new movie 'King Richard' - was suspected of breaking his wife's ribs, but she protected him to save their daughter's careers.
A police report obtained by The Sun from Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office in Florida details the alleged bust-up between Richard and his then-wife Oracene, Serena and Venus's mom.
Cops were called at 2.34pm on February 7 1999 and Officer Larry Enstrom detailed how he met with Richard's wife at Columbia Hospital where she was being treated.
"Upon my arrival, I made contact with hospital personnel, who stated a black female by the name of Oracene Williams had taken herself to the E.R for treatment to what is believed to be a battery," he wrote in the report.
"I spoke to Ms. Williams and in doing so, I was met with passive resistance to any questions I asked. Ms. Williams stated she did not wish to report any information to the police, nor did she request them.
The news comes as:
- How Venus and Serena Williams’ dad walked out on first family
- Serena Williams’ half-sister blasts ‘King Richard’ film
- Daughter says he 'became a millionaire but we lived in poverty'‘
- Richard Williams was ‘serial cheat with up to 20 kids’, daughter claims
- He also faces losing his home in bitter court battle
"I explained to Ms. Williams that it was the obligation of the medical personnel to contact law enforcement agency whenever suspected domestic violence occurs.
"At this point, I questioned Ms. Williams as to what happened and she stated she hurt her wrist. I asked her where this occurred, and she stated it was at her house [in Palm Beach Gardens].
"When I asked what happened again, she stated she hurt herself. She then stated later she was hurt by someone, but she would not reveal the identity of the perpetrator."
Officer Enstrom explained hospital personnel claimed Ms. Williams had originally stated that a door handle had hit her, but her injuries were "not consistent with a door handle hitting someone in that portion of the body."
The report shows Serena and Venus were with their mother at the hospital who were "very evasive" towards the officer when questioned separately, and insisted it was not their mother's wish to report any information.
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"I explained to the two daughters that domestic violence is a serious crime and needs to be placed in check and the perpetrator as well as the vicim both need help," Enstrom went on.
"In my attempts to urge the daughters to cooperate, Serena stated if she had seen something, she would have reported it to me, However, Venus was adamant it was not the mother's wish to say anything more and remained silent."
Enstrom was advised the only other person living at the property besides the mother and her two daughters was Richard Williams, but Serena and Venus said they did not believe he was home at the time.
"I again spoke to Ms. Williams and urged her to be forthright with me as to what had occurred. Ms. Williams stated to me, 'I know you know what happened, but I am fearful for my daughters' careers,'" he wrote in the bombshell report.
"The complainant stated because both of her daughters' careers and their high profile claimed this incident would hurt them, and again I explained the domestic violence cycle.
HIS WIFE WAS 'FEARFUL'
"It is highly suspected by myself that Ms. Williams may have been assaulted by either her spouse and/or another family member, however, she remained adamant at not talking to me any further."
The Sun has reached out to the Williams family, including Richard's lawyer, for comment but did not hear back.
Officer Enstrom said he supplied her with a refusal to prosecute form which she signed without hesitation after he explained it to her.
He gave her the case number and his information in case she changed her mind and she insisted she would call if she did.
"At this time, Ms. Williams was in a hurry to leave the hospital and they could no longer detain her against her will and she then left," he explained.
He claimed her injuries were caused by a jet-ski accident while he was away in Chicago, saying: "So far, I have only proven to be a good husband, I have a good wife and I am a good father."
But when asked about her injuries by a reporter for the tabloid, Oracene finally broke her silence, saying simply: "I don't jet-ski."
According to an article on thesmokinggun.com, Oracene, now 69, also called 911 two years before the alleged incident when she thought her husband might shoot himself with a pellet gun.
During that time, she was also allegedly given a 'Domestic Violence Legal Rights Package'.
PREVIOUS 911 CALL
Meanwhile, Serena and Venus's half-sister, Sabrina Williams, has slammed her estranged father, 79, who she claims is painted as a saint in the new Will Smith movie, despite walking out on his first family.
"He thinks he's the king of the world, but no one that's ever been around him thinks he's King Richard," she told The Sun in an exclusive interview. "It is an outrageous title, but to truth be told, it fits him.
"He's not the king of the world. If you look at him psychologically, it's something he's never achieved apart from in his head - he's lived only through two of his daughters forsaking all his other children.
"Truth be told, those girls rose to the top while his other children had to suffer because of the choices my dad made, we were raised in poverty after he left."
Richard married Sabrina's late mom Betty Johnson in Los Angeles in the early 1960 and they had four other children together - Richard III, 56, Ronner, 55, Reluss, 54, and Reneeka, 49.
But, when Sabrina was just eight, Richard allegedly dumped his wife and five kids – telling the little girl he was going to buy her a bike, but never returning.
Richard then married Oracene, Serena and Venus's mother, in 1980, but they divorced in 2002.
He is now going through his third divorce having married his much younger wife, Lakeisha Graham, who has also accused him of bad behavior in a series of bombshell court documents.
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