The star acknowledges her commitment to promoting gender equality in the field of sports and beyond.
Making history
Billie Jean King has made history by becoming the first woman to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the new sports entertainment category. The 2,807th star is located near the intersection of Hollywood and Vine.
The said category was introduced in 2023, and it was created to recognise the contributions of athletes to the entertainment industry. The unveiling ceremony was attended by Olympic basketball champion Magic Johnson and Oscar-winning actress Jamie Lee Curtis. Other notable people who attended the ceremony were five-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova, and Rosie Casals and Julie Anthony, Billie Jean King’s friends.
During the ceremony, Johnson expressed: “You always fight for what’s right… You lend your platform and your voice and your time and your money to bring about change.”
Furthermore, Cuortis added: “Billie Jean King’s contribution is power… She’s power on the courts, she’s power in the courts, she’s power in the press, power in her public advocacy, power in her fight for freedom, power to be who she is now.”
This latest achievement is just another one of Billie Jean King’s many successes. In September, she made history by becoming the first female athlete ever to receive the Congressional Gold Medal, the US Congress’s highest honour. This was for her “courageous and groundbreaking leadership in advancing equal rights for women in athletics, education, and society”.
In a social media post, Billi Jean King shared: “Today, I became the first woman to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the Sports Entertainment category.”
“Words cannot express how honored and grateful I am to receive this star… I have so many people to thank, including the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, @magicjohnson and @jamieleecurtis for their kind, inspiring, and memorable words (snap pants are the next big thing. If you know, you know, right Jamie Lee?), and all the other individuals who made this incredible day possible.”
She ended her post by saying: “I may be the first woman to be awarded a star in this category, but I’m certainly not going to be the last… Let’s keep going for it!”
Netizens showed their support in the comments section by stating: “👏👏congratulations, no one deserves to be the first more then you ! 💪🏻❤️,” “Amazing and SO well deserved!!! My hero!” “As it should be!! Congratulations BJK. This is so well deserved and no surprise to us!” and “Long time coming! Well done GOAT😍👏👏👏👏👏👏”