Serena Williams' husband calls out Natalie Portman and others involved in their soccer team for putting up 'no money'

3 hours ago 2

By ALEX RASKIN, US SPORTS NEWS EDITOR

Published: 19:30 GMT, 28 October 2025 | Updated: 19:33 GMT, 28 October 2025

Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian now regrets the doomed franchise structure he and wife Serena Williams struck with their Angel City co-owners, actress Natalie Portman, venture capitalist Kara Nortman and entrepreneur Julie Uhrman.

The NWSL club was taken over by Disney CEO Bob Iger and his news anchor wife Willow Bay for a reported $250 million last year. But as Ohanian told Front office Sports during a recent podcast, that was done out of necessity because Angel City's original ownership structure was unsustainable.

'I structured it like a startup,' said Ohanian, who invested around $5 million into the team without securing board control, thereby effectively giving away 75 percent of club equity 'for free' to co-founders Portman, Nortman and Uhrman.

'That works great in tech,' he said. 'In sports, it's a terrible idea.'

Portman and Uhrman remain on the team's board, while Nortman remains an investor. Furthermore, Uhrman is the team's CEO, according to Front Office Sports.

Daily Mail has reached out to an Angel City spokesperson for a response.

Alexis Ohanian, Serena Williams attend the women's 100m at the 2024 Paris Games 

Angel City co-founders Julie Uhrman, Natalie Portman and Kara Nortman seen in 2023 

As Ohanian sees it, the league looked at him as the primary owner, but he'd ceded much of his control to his partners, who put up 'no money.'

'I was [the] founding control owner in the eyes of the league, so it's my ass on the line,' he told FOS.

The Wall Street Journal reported last year that team officials and Ohanian were frustrated with Uhrman's 'financial and personnel management.'

Speaking to FOS, Ohanian said it was the league that should have prevented such an arrangement.

Ohanian said the only solution was to explore a sale, which they ultimately agreed to last year.

In four seasons, Angel City has finished as low as 12th and as high as fifth in the NWSL.

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