How much of ‘true story’ is left out of ‘King Richard’?

I HAVE not seen “King Richard,” pitched in TV ads as the “true story” of how Richard Williams inspired his daughters, Serena and Venus, to tennis greatness.

But based on my long study of the movie industry’s “true story” treatment of other sports events and figures, I’m going to conclude that this one is loaded with significantly selective omissions, including:

Richard Williams’ influence in making Serena, an executive co-producer of the movie, a self-entitled and media-entitled rotten winner and loser — one who gives little-to-no credit or respect to her opponents, blaming losses on injuries, her own bad play and court-side officials.

To a lineswoman at the 2009 U.S. Open, she screamed, “I swear to God I’ll f--king take the ball and shove it down your f--king throat!”

Though she should have been disqualified on the spot, she was fined pocket change — $10,500 — and refused to apologize, claiming that in no way did she threaten the woman and that she merely engaged in tennis-common dissent with a linesperson.

Yet even John McEnroe, known for his tirades, said he’d never gone that far and that Serena should have been suspended.

Then there was her screaming meltdown at the chair ump in the 2018 U.S. Open while losing to unknown, at the time, Naomi Osaka, a tantrum she absurdly claimed was on behalf of women’s rights, as opposed to on behalf of herself.

Much media bought it, or at least faked it. Yeah, right on, sister! Was Osaka not a woman? Was stealing Osaka’s greatest moment part of King Richard’s inspiration and vision for his daughters?

As for Richard Williams, before he was eased out of view lest he further embarrass the Williams sisters and jeopardize their growing sponsorships, he was a steady, unfiltered bigot.

Of Serena’s opponent, Irina Spirlea, after their 1997 semifinal match at the U.S. Open, he called her “a big, tall, white turkey,” and further claimed Spirlea is a racist despite no evidence to back his claim.

In 2012 he said, “Goldstein, Rubenstein and Weinstein are in charge of collecting money from the Jews for me.”

Sports Illustrated explained that quote as just evidence of his “flakiness.” Yep, all bigots should be excused as “flaky,” even if Williams would never suffer racism, real or imagined, if directed at his daughters — nor would Sports Illustrated ever defend as racist as merely “flaky.”

But, like Serena and Venus, Richard has always been a beneficiary of media pandering.

Whatever, Will Smith is already being hailed as an Oscar winner for his portrayal of “King Richard” in a “true story” — even if significant truths are assiduously avoided.