Yetunde Williams (Price): Inside the tragic death of Serena and Venus Williams' older sister
'King Richard' continues to garner the buzz well after its release last week and the Williams sisters, Serena and Venus, have been in the news. The iconic duo also used the film as a way to pay tribute to their older sister. Yetunde Price (or better known as Tunde) was murdered in 2003. In the movie, actress Mikayla LaShae Bartholomew essayed the character and does get a fair share of screen time. Serena, talking on the November 24 episode of Facebook Watch's Red Table Talk with host Will Smith, relived the memories of spending time with her sister.
"I think I cried the whole time. Whenever she came on film, I just — personally, I just started, like — I mean, even still," Serena recounted. Their mother, Oracene Price (played by Aunjanue Ellis) added, "It was a quiet moment I think. 'Cause we know how it was, and then how it — you know, it just — it was just something that you kind of try and put in the back of your mind and don't want to remember."
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How did Yetunde Price die?
Yetunde was shot and killed on September 14, 2003, in Compton. The killer was identified as Robert Edward Maxfield, a member of the Southside Crips gang. It was reported that Maxfield allegedly opened fire at her SUV with her boyfriend at the wheel. His prosecutors argued that his shooting was in retaliation to who he thought were members of a rival gang as the couple passed by a drug house.
Maxfield pleaded no contest three years later and per a People report, he had been charged with murder, however, he accepted a lesser count following two mistrials. He was sentenced to 15 years of prison in 2006 and was paroled in March 2018. Yetunde was 31 at the time of her death and was a nurse and owner of a hair salon as well. Talking about Yetunde, Venus said her elder sister was all about having fun. "She knew how to have fun," she remarked.
'King Richard' sees Will Smith star as Richard Williams, the father of Tennis superstars, Serena and Venus Williams. Saniyya Sidney as Venus and Demi Singleton as Serena respectively. Tony Goldwyn as Paul Cohen, Jon Bernthal as Rick Macci, Dylan McDermott as Will Hodges, Mikayla LaShae Bartholomew as Yetunde Price, Danielle Lawson as Isha Price, Layla Crawford as Lyndrea Price, Andy Bean as Laird Stabler, Kevin Dunn as Vic Braden, Craig Tate as Bells, and Vaughn W. Hebron as Monsta.
'King Richard' is running in theatres and is available for streaming on HBO Max.