Serena Williams was made uncomfortable this week as she exited her New York City hotel due to a piece of decor known to be triggering for some.

The tennis champ , 44, shared video via her Instagram Stories Thursday (Sept. 25) of her walking down her hotel hallway toward a decorative cotton plant, leading her to question how her followers feel about it as she visibly shuddered at the sight. This is due to the cotton plant’s association with transatlantic slave labor.

“Alright, everyone. How do we feel about cotton as decoration?” she asked fans . “Personally for me, it doesn’t feel great.” She also picked a single ball of cotton off of a branch, telling followers that it “feels like nail polish remover cotton,” before shuddering and walking away.

The athlete was in New York City t

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