For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, King Richard is based on the true story of Richard Williams, who led his daughters from the working-class to the top of the global tennis rankings, Oracene Price is the mother and coach of two of the greatest tennis players of all time, Venus and Serena Williams. Serena has a total of 73 career titles and has won more than $94 million in prize money. The two like-minded pro athletes met in 1979 and married the following year. Will Smith played the patriarch in the 2021 film King Richard. Once the changes were implemented several months later, girls would have to be 15 before they could turn pro and their tournament play would be limited for the first two years. Venus and Serena served as executive producers. Without hesitation, I said to myself, 'I'm going to have two kids and put them in tennis.' Serena said that she never had a chance to play with the young actresses on the court. Interestingly, she married three times and had five children. "Im grateful for her. A year after that, in 1981, they had Serena . Isha and Lyndrea remain close to Serena and Venus; Yetunde died tragically in 2003, according to People. They got married in 1980 and have two biological children, Venus and Serena. The Sun has contacted representatives for the Williams family for comment. [8] He jumped over the NBC broadcasting booth, catching Chris Evert by surprise and performing a triumphant dance. She had worked as the personal assistant to her sisters, Venus and Serena Williams. View our online Press Pack. Sabrina added: I'd say I was still in contact with my dad, we went on vacations, but it was a lie. For behind the headlines and grand slams there is a secret past that haunts Richard after he was accused of leaving his first wife to bring up their six children alone. Richard has at least one other confirmed child as well. He has stepdaughters too. Williams said that as his business grew, he had more than fifty men working for him. This encouraged Richard to move to West Palm Beach, Florida, to enable Venus to attend Rick Macci's tennis academy. Richard Williams's daughter is Venus Williams Richard Williams's daughter is Serena Williams Richard Williams's daughter is Sabrina Deville Richard Williams's son is Ronner Williams Richard Williams's son is Richard Williams III Richard Williams's child is Reluss Williams Richard Williams's daughter is Reneeka Williams Richard Williams's son is However, Venus and Serena arent Williams only kids. But, at some point, you have to take responsibility. The movie's acknowledgment of Richard Williams' infidelity is based in fact. Those things being said, Will Smith does capture Richard's drive, his 24/7 fixation on tennis, and the salesman-like persona of the controversial father. Yes. Serena recalled him saying, This is what were going to do. As an individual who had a history of stealing as a youth, Williams commented that the security business "was a natural for someone who knew as much about stealing as I did." King Richard is out in theaters and can also be streamed on HBO Max now. Would it kill them to say hello to people in the locker room? Six years after his divorce from Betty, Richard met Oracene "Brandy" Price, who already had three daughters with her then-deceased husband. Robert Maxfield was charged with voluntary manslaughter in 2006. It's rather evident while watching the film that we aren't getting the full picture of Richard Williams. The film, directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green, highlights how a man with no prior experience in the sport and limited financial means leads his daughters to incredible success in tennis. He admitted that his former wife "didn't want to do it." While the two are the only biological daughters of parents Richard Williams and Oracene Price, both Williams and Price have five and three children respectfully from prior marriages. Yes. Fans who'd been promised they'd see the sisters compete against each other were upset when Venus decided to pull out of the match due to a knee injury she had sustained in her quarterfinal. According to The Telegraph, Williams also has a son named Chavoita LeSane. Watch This Story: How Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams, and Others Travel. In exploring how accurate is King Richard, we learned that he first worked for other companies until he had enough hours to get a license to open his own company, the Samson Security Service. His two-year battle with the gang resulted in numerous arguments and fights that "almost destroyed my body and my spirit.". Richard has been less visible in his daughters professions, according to US Weekly, but Smith thinks that the film will help to preserve his legacy. RICHARD Wershe Jr., known as White Boy Rich was an undercover FBI informant in the 1980's. He spent over three decades in prison, not getting the chance to spend time with his family. She is best known for being both the mother and coach of Venus and Serena Williams, who are both widely regarded among the best tennis players of all time. As published on Briefly.co.za, Jenni Rivera started and sustained a music career in the early 1990s until she became a sensation in the United States and Mexico in 2005. For a daily dose of 9Honey,subscribe to our newsletter here, Auto news:Shock new reason behind car delays - drive.com.au, Serena Williams and mini-me daughter don matching PJs. He. Just a few years later, Richard started a new life with another woman and had two girls, Serena and Venus, who went onto become tennis legends. That was my actual motivation." "That's just not going to be an option, theyre not going to let me, they won't even tell me. Yes. Richard Williams is among the famous athlete coaches who have had a successful career by coaching and supporting their children through critical and defining competitions. "These girls, once they cast, they learned how to play tennis," Serena told Jimmy Kimmel, "and they learned how to play our technique of tennis." 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Richard will be at the center of a new movie starring Will Smith, Venus Williams was the first of Oracene's daughters with Richard, Serena, alongside her mother, Oracene, and older sister, Venus. If it wasn't for the churches that we belonged to, I don't think my mom would have made it.". Oracene Price, nicknamed Brandy, had three daughters before her marriage to Williams. In his first marriage, Williams had five children with his ex-wife, all of whom he is estranged from, according to his daughter Sabrina, who said that her father was a serial cheat.. -CNN. Serena has been married to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian since November 16, 2017. Born February 14, 1942, Richard Williams is an American tennis coach. In researching how accurate is King Richard, we discovered that the Williams sisters converted to the religion after their mother, Oracene Williams, did in the 1980s. The biopic, which opened last Friday, reveals the racism, violence and hardship the Williams family had to overcome. While she sort of implied that it did, she ultimately said, "I plead the fifth." It was utterly mind-numbing that my dad couldnt even come to my moms funeral.". Besides, an insight into the accomplished coach's life is from his book, Black and White: The Way I See It. Find out more from the post. Before Venus and Serena were born, Williams had children with his first wife, Betty Johnson. I think I was really disappointed my dad didnt choose me," she added. In his book, Richard says he chose the sport after discovering how much prize money even women could win at the time. "Somehow I got hold of my dad through a relative and asked for $1,000 to pay some of the college bill at Hope Christian University," she said. From her first marriage, Oracene has three other children- Yetunde Price, Lyndrea Price, and Isha Price. His top priority was ensuring Venus and Serenas success, and his dedication paid off starting when Serena won the US Open in 1999, and in 2000, when Venus did the same at Wimbledon. Oracene and Richard were married in 1980 and moved to Compton before welcoming two daughters together. ", Saving Private Ryan star Tom Sizemore dies aged 61 after suffering brain aneurysm, Kim Kardashian shows off her real hips and butt in unedited new pics, Inside Josh Duggar's lonely 35th birthday in prison solitary confinement, Honey Boo Boo, 17, & boyfriend, 21, found with gun & drugs in car in arrest, 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Richard Williams left his first family and focused on making Serena and Venus champions, Her half sister Sabrina Williams has slammed the film, calling it 'a comedy', Credit: These photos are the www.thisischriswhite.com and cannot be reprinted unless authorised to, Sabrina said Williams is only 'king in his head', Serena and Venus' father Richard is being portrayed in a new movie starring Will Smith, Sabrina now lives in Las Vegas and has only met her half siblings by chance once in California, The 57-year-old says she is no longer angry with her father and has come to terms with his painful departure from their lives, Will Smith is being tipped for an Academy Award for his role in the movie, Richard had a manifesto for turning his girls into tennis superstars, Sabrina has not seen her estranged father in years and claims he abandoned their family, Will Smith looks unrecognisable with a new goatee on The One Show as he promotes new film King Richard about Venus and Serena Williams. "Black American tennis player Sloane Stephens said that Serena Williams acts like a wolf in sheep's clothing. Vladimir Curiel's bio, age, children, wife, occupation, profiles, net worth. They married in 1980 and had two daughters, Venus (born June 17, 1980) and Serena (born September 26, 1981). You know that part of your world exists, but you just don't want to deal with it - and that's a sad thing. The friendship that has seen Ash Barty through the toughest of times, Why Meghan may have switched name on court docs, "When [Venus and Serena] received the calls from all of us here, they were saying, 'Are you sure this is correct?' that he didn't want his youngest son playing tennis like his sisters. However, Richard was not alone in shaping and helping Venus and Serena Williams. After rising tennis star Jennifer Capriati (played by Jessica Wacnik) is arrested with weed in a Florida hotel room, Will Smith as Richard pulls his daughters out of the punishing junior tournaments because he wants them to have a regular upbringing. Children Oracene and Richard have two girls, Venus Williams (born June 17, 1980), a seven-time Grand Slam title winner (singles), and Serena Williams (born September 26, 1981), twenty-three-time Grand Slam title winner (singles). Throughout his life, the famous tennis coach married three times. With Oracene, Williams has two daughters, Venus and Serena. ", in reference to a song by N.W.A based in Compton, California, the same area in Los Angeles where the family once resided. Will Smith played the patriarch in the 2021 film King Richard. The life story of Solica Cassuto, Andy Griffith's second wife. Serena Williams (right) practicing. She referred to him as a "serial cheat" and nothing more than a "sperm donor." For his third marriage, Williams married a woman named Lakeisha Juanita Graham in 2010. I was eight years old, and he left under the pretense 'I'm gonna get you a bike?' The exact number of children Richard Williams fathered seems to be somewhat unknown. In 1980, he decided to create the plan after turning on the TV and seeing 25-year-old Romanian tennis player Virginia Ruzici awarded $40,000 for winning a four-day tournament. After about two decades of marriage, they parted ways and finalised their divorce in 2002. Then, they tied the knot in 1965, before they separated after a few years. How Many Kids Does Richard Williams Have? Amid marrying, they moved to Compton, California. Yet, as we're told over the movie's end credits, reportedly nearly all of his initial plan has come true. He also had ten of his teeth knocked out from getting kicked in the mouth. She's met her tennis playing half-siblings only once, by chance, at Knott's Berry Farm, a theme park in California, when the pair were teenagers. The two Williams sisters opened the Yetunde Price Resource Centre in Compton in their sister's memory. The tennis stars' father - the focus of new biopic King Richard - has been accused of a string of affairs and has been dubbed "just a sperm donor" by Sabrina. He taught our mum, and then they taught us Our father doesn't get enough credit. After getting divorced in 2002, Richard Williams started dating Lakeisha Juanita Graham, who is a grocery store owner. He told q on CBC that he realized, "You know, if I had two kids, I'd become rich. Is Richard Williams still married? No; his last divorce was in 2017. Watch the real interview. as a writer and an editor for DU Express, penning riveting articles on sports, This led him to be the head of a big family. He is known as the father of nine children, although some speculate he may have others. Im gonna go with Venus and Serena, and train them every day., Though their father gave them the tools to thrive as athletes, Serena says she and her sister would have never succeeded without their mother. He has two sons, one from outside his marriage and another from his third marriage. Eventually, Richard stopped sending both sisters to national junior tournaments when Serena was ten years old, as he wanted them to focus on school work. Richard has married three times and also divorced all of them. It's true that Arantxa Snchez Vicario, then the No. Richard took over his daughter's coaching in 1995 when Venus turned professional at 14. As stated earlier, he was amazed when he tuned in to see Romanian tennis star Virginia Ruzici win $40,000 for a four-day tournament. Like her sister Venus, Serena made her professional debut in 1995 and became a top-10 player in the late 1990s. READ MORE: The friendship that has seen Ash Barty through the toughest of times, READ MORE: Why Meghan may have switched name on court docs. They couldnt believe it,", Woman dumped by date after he Googled her medication, . This encouraged Richard to move to West Palm Beach, Florida, to enable Venus to attend Rick Macci's tennis academy. Criticism can bring the best out of you," he said. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. In addition, the movie maintains the narrative that Richard was always kindhearted and nice. According to multiple reports, Chavoita Lesane, 48, is one of his oldest children and has been taking care of him since 2016. "It meant a lot to us, to myself and to Venus and my other sisters as well, Isha and Lyndrea, that weve been wanting to do something for years in memory of her, especially the way it happened, a violent crime," Serena said at the opening of the centre in 2016. They have two daughters together, Venus and Serena, both of whom went on to become tennis champions. He hardly ever loses his temper. A King Richard fact-check confirms that he wrote the 78-page blueprint for his children to become tennis stars before Venus and Serena were born. The former tennis player and coach took notice of Venus and gave her additional coaching. Per the religion's beliefs, Venus and Serena don't celebrate most holidays and birthdays, including the birthdays of their children. As he got out of his VW Bus, the gang members saw his shotgun and fled. He has several children from a previous marriage, as well as a son with his third wife, Lakeisha Graham. "I always believed in my heart that my dad would come back to get me. Yetunde, Lyndrea, and Isha Price are half-sisters to Serena and Venus and they have always been very close. "One guy said, 'I wish it was '75; we'd skin you alive.' "The girls are playing here, why dont you come down, youll get the good seats, see the girls, then the reporters can take the pictures. If you look at him psychologically, it's something he's never achieved apart from in his head - hes lived only through two of his daughters forsaking all his other children. Serena Jameka Williams (born September 26, 1981) [1] is an American inactive professional tennis player. It was then that he saw that one of the gang members who had beat him was lying dead in the street. She progressively gained recognition during the 1990s and has participated in the Australian Open, the US Open, Wimbledon, the Grand Slam Cup, and the Olympic Games. While his estranged firstborn daughter, Sabrina, has referred to him as a "serial cheat," there's little information on the extent of Richard Williams' extramarital affairs. The actual story is a little less intense.In real life, he couldn't find any of the gang members and decided to return home. I have three older sisters, one younger, and I have my mom. "It was typical him, he wanted to make it a PR opportunity, but I never wanted to meet the girls for publicity or money, only in private.". Lakeisha supported the former coach when he suffered a stroke in 2016. Who was Tiki's first wife Ginny Cha? Serena has been married to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian since November 16, 2017. ", As for her father, Sabrina said: "I always made excuses for him.". Surprisingly, he has children from his marriages and even one from his other relationships. Their wedding was celebrated in New Orleans in the presence of Beyonc, Anna Wintour, Kim Kardashian, and Kelly Rowland. "When [Venus and Serena] received the calls from all of us here, they were saying, 'Are you sure this is correct?' The first was Venus, who was born on June 17, 1980. He first married Betty Johnson in 1965 after he moved to California from Shreveport, Louisiana. Williams left when Sabrina was just eight and another sister eight weeks old. Throughout his life, the famous tennis coach married three times. I remember that was always the main thing theyd talk about. Her sister, Venus Williams, is her only full-blood sibling, since the two share the same mother and father. They couldnt believe it," a spokesperson told People at the time. Seven years into their marriage, everything fell apart, and they divorced in 2017. He has previously worked Cody Williams is the most private of Robin Williams' three kids, with no public social media. Smith received critical acclaim for his performance and won numerous awards, including the 2022 Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role,[18] Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Drama[19] and the Screen Actor's Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role in a Motion Picture.[20]. Richard had more than one long-lost son. He showed us how to serve, and we have the biggest serves in women's tennis. After moving to California, Richard says that a man named Oliver, whose nickname was "Old Whiskey," taught him how to play tennis. In Williams' second marriage to Oracene Price in 1980, the pair had Venus and Serena. After high school, he relocated to Saginaw, Michigan and later to California, where he practised tennis. Sabrina says she had "two childhoods" - before and after Williams left. In conducting the King Richard fact-check, we learned that according to Richard Williams' memoir, he brought a twelve-gauge pump shotgun to hunt down the gang members who had severely beaten him in December 1985 for trying to get them to stay away from the Compton courts (not for harassing his daughter). Serena followed in Venus' footsteps, attending Rick Macci's tennis academy. Really? Unlike what's seen in the movie, he never had one of them in his sights and instead retreated after witnessing the gang member being gunned down in a drive-by shooting. Both Williams and Price served as coaches for the girls. He made it his number one priority for his daughters to become tennis professionals, even writing a 78-page manifesto outlining his blueprint for success. In the early 2000s, Serena became the fifth woman to hold all Grand Slam singles titles simultaneously. On the way, he saw police cars and an ambulance blocking traffic. How many kids does Richard Williams have? [4] In 1995, Williams withdrew his daughters from a tennis academy and coached them himself. Oracene Price (born April 3, 1952) is an American tennis coach. Richard claimed that in addition to boos, he heard fans hurl racial slurs. Age, real name, husband, house, career, profiles, net worth, Who is Violet Moon Howey? Serena and Venus are still close with Isha and Lyndrea; Yetunde died tragically in 2003. He did hang the sign that read, "When you fail to plan, you plan to fail," which was his motto.When Richard was being verbally harsh on his daughters, the gang members tried to step in. The unwritten law in our family: you dont speak bad about the girls, who were then living in Compton. Be the first to get hottest news from our Editor-in-Chief, Check your email and confirm your subscription. Harry Styles achieves 'boyhood dream' on final night of Aussie tour, Nicole Scherzinger debuts new song at Bondi Beach Party, Cate Blanchett features funky dance moves in music video. In a recent interview with People, Serena opened up about how their mother, Oracene Price, financially supported the family while their father trained them on the court. Her older sister Venus Williams has seven Grand Slam singles titles to her name, including five Wimbledon titles, and she has won more than $42 million in prize money. Most of the barbs against her father are punctuated with laughter and self-reflection, as Sabrina feels she's finally found contentment after spending her younger years with unresolved anger issues. He was also known to act as their advocate: in a famous interview with Venus, who was just 14 at the time, Williams angrily interjected when the reporter second-guessed his daughters confidence. Richard didn't intervene. She laughs out loud that his first thirty years have been ignored by King Richard director Reinaldo Marcus Green. It seemed like they've played tennis their whole lives." "Shes always saving my life," Williams said. [7] Within a few years, they were winning grand slam tournaments. He had contracts with construction sites, banks, and office buildings. One thing Richard did was hang signs around the Compton tennis court that read things like, "Venus, when you fail, you fail alone." He told CNN's Open Court that he witnessed a friend being lynched. Like the Williams sisters, Capriati had also been coached by Rick Macci. None of this is surprising given that this is an authorized biopic and Venus and Serena are executive producers on the film.The movie also seems to show Richard favor one daughter over the other at critical moments, but we never see the impact that had on them. In addition, the film barely mentions why Venus and Serena were given almost all of their parents' focus when both Richard and Brandy had kids from previous marriages. For other inquiries, Contact Us. In a couple of days? In 2000, John McEnroe penned an article for the Telegraph describing Venus and Serena as "cocky" and rude, stating in the article, "What they have achieved is great but they have no respect for anyone in the game. Watch Gyllenhaal and McGregor storm UFC 285 weigh-in to film Roadhouse scene, Moment Aston Villa's Leon Bailey inhales 'laughing gas' after all night party, 'Professional boxer' Paul teases announcement with hilarious video after Fury loss, Mason Greenwood's England future revealed after rejecting country switch, News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. Yes. Serena Williams. Venus and Serena Williams are two of the greatest tennis stars of all time, and much of their success can be attributed to their father (and amateur coach), Richard Williams. Yes. The youngest of the Williams siblings by far, Dylan Starr was born in 2012 to Richard Williams' partner Lakeisha Graham. A mother-of-three, Yetunde was the tragic victim of a gun shooting in 2003 at the age of 31. These include three sons: Richard, Ronner, and Reluss, and two daughters: Sabrina and Reneeka. The pair tied the knot in 1965 and had five children. Venus said at a summit in 2018 that sister Isha was one of her role models. He has several children from a previous marriage, as well as a son with his third wife, Lakeisha Graham. After this, he met Oracene Price who they met in 1979 and had three daughters known as Venus Williams in 1980, Serena Williams in 1981. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. In 2003, she pulled out of three major sports events in the US to undergo surgery on the quadriceps tendon in her knee and returned at the 2004 NASDAQ-100 Open in March in Miami. Instead, he believed that the verbal abuse would make them stronger. Moving from his birth town of Shreveport, Louisiana, to California after graduating high school, Richard met Betty Johnson. Price immediately reverted to her maiden name while citing irreconcilable differences as the reason for their divorce. After about two decades of marriage, they parted ways and finalised their divorce in 2002. There wasnt always meals on the table. His friends and family had gathered around his body. Williams is the oldest of five children[3] and the only son of Julia Mae (ne Metcalf) and Richard Dove Williams of Shreveport, Louisiana. This was also motivated by experiences of racism, with Richard hearing white parents talk about his daughter in a derogatory manner during tournaments. Guliver / Getty Images The couple filed for divorce in 2017. That left wife Betty - Sabrina's mom - to raise theirsix children. Serena then unfollowed Stephens on Twitter. No, I wouldn't, I'd go through all the struggles I went through again," she said. Richard Williams and his wife, Oracene Price, were like two sides of a coin that complemented each other building a strong family and providing support to each member when necessary. Yes. The former tennis player and coach took notice of Venus and gave her additional coaching. The pair welcomed a son named Dylan in 2012 and divorced in 2017. During an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2003, Serena spoke of her father's role in her success. He met Betty Johnson in California after relocating there. As a result of the incident, she later remarked that "[church elders] had to have a talk with me" (Tennis.com). They divorced in 2017. While Rick offered additional coaching to Serena and Venus, he respected Richard's choice to "allow them to be little girls.". "How many times are we going to blame our parents for everything?" It was then that he decided tennis would be the sport for his (not yet born) children.In his memoir, Black and White: The Way I See It, Richard writes, "I didn't think it was possible for anyone to make that kind of money in four days, especially a woman. "Someone even called the police on me for abusing my kids," Richard said. The pair tied the knot in 1965 and had five children. But Richard's story does not begin with the success of Venus andSerena. Not exactly. He is known as the father of nine children, although some speculate he may have others. Age, wife, education, current team, profiles, Andrew Huberman's wife, age, podcast, nationality, education, net worth, How did Tyler Hoover get rich? In fact, the story starts in Los Angeles, where Richard, now 79, was living with his then wife, Betty Johnson. We were taught that your sisters are your best friends. According to the New York Daily News, she allegedly told the lineswoman, "I swear to God, I'll f****** take this ball and shove it down your f****** throat." Williams took tennis lessons from a man known as "Old Whiskey" and decided his future daughters would be tennis professionals after seeing Virginia Ruzici playing on television. He dumped his wife and five kids, allegedly walking out of the door to buy her a bike - and never returning - then went onto marry Serena and Venus's mother Oracene. Richard also has a mystery son called Chavoita LeSane. [9] He has been open about his difficult childhood and experiences with racism and has credited his faith as a source of strength throughout each season of his life. "And that should tell everyone something. "I don't think I will ever meet Serena or Venus another time. READ ALSO: Who are Jenni Rivera's husbands? Oracene Price met Richard Williams in 1979 after the death of her first husband,Yusef Rasheed. I tried to get them to believe that they have pushed themselves, not me." Outside his three marriages, he has been in a number of relationships. From the former coachs second marriage came Venus, Serena, and three stepdaughters. It seems that one factor that likely prompted Richard to have Venus turn pro at that point was that the Women's Tennis Council's rules of entry were about to change. Then He Stole Their Moment", "Will Smith Wins 2022 Oscar for Actor in a Leading Role in KING RICHARD - Oscars 2022 News", "Winners & Nominees Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama", "SAG Awards: Will Smith Pays Tribute to Venus and Serena Williams' Father in Best Actor Win", "Richard Williams, father of Venus and Serena, reveals tough childhood that included disguising as Klansman in 'Black and White: The Way I See It", SportsIllustrated.com, about the Indian Wells incident, Women's tour CEO reacts to Richard Williams' remarks on racism, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Richard_Williams_(tennis_coach)&oldid=1141761975, 20th-century African-American sportspeople, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Title-winning/cup-winning mixed doubles partners, Title-winning/medal-winning mixed doubles partners, This page was last edited on 26 February 2023, at 17:36.

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