India, Sept. 26 -- Serena Williams shared two videos on Instagram Stories showing a decorative cotton plant in the hallway of a New York City hotel. In one of the clips, the tennis legend called the display uncomfortable.

"How do we feel about cotton as decoration?" Williams says in the video. She adds, "Personally, for me, it doesn't feel great." In another clip, she picks up one of the cotton balls, rubs it on her nail and shudders.

Though the video has gone viral, prompting varied reactions from social media users, it is unclear if Williams was voicing opposition to the texture of the cotton or speaking out because of the cotton plant's historic ties to slavery in the United States.

Many didn't agree with Williams, claiming that it'...