Tennis legend Serena Williams has addressed recent speculation about her skin tone, vehemently denying claims that she has bleached her skin.
The 23-time Grand Slam winner took to Instagram to address swirling rumors that she lightens her skin, assertively shutting down the speculation.
The chatter began after Williams shared a video last week while attending a school event for her daughter, 7-year-old Olympia, whom she shares with her husband, tech entrepreneur Alexis Ohanian.
In the video, which quickly went viral, Williams wore makeup for her volunteer role at Olympia’s play. This led some social media users to speculate that her skin appeared lighter, fueling rumors about skin bleaching.
During an Instagram Live session on Monday, December 2, Serena Williams decided it was time to set the record straight. As she casually shared her makeup routine with fans, she addressed the elephant in the room.
During a makeup tutorial for her brand, Wyn Beauty (pronounced “win”), the ex-athlete saw the perfect opportunity to weigh in on the topic.
“Usually, I go back for a third time and then I put just that neutral color that is actually my skin color. And no, for you haters out there, I do not bleach my skin,” Williams said as she applied under-eye makeup.
The 43-year-old further explained that the lighting and her stage makeup contributed to the appearance in the now-viral clip, adding, “There is a thing called sunlight, and in that sunlight, you get different colors.”
The tennis icon didn’t stop there. She passionately called out the rumors, saying, “Yes, I’m calling you out on this because it is ridiculous that everyone’s like, ‘Oh, she bleaches her skin.’ I’m a dark Black woman, and I love who I am and how I look.”
Williams made it clear that while she doesn’t judge others who may choose skin-lightening treatments, it’s simply not for her. “That’s just not my thing, and if people do it, that’s their thing, and they have every opportunity, and they should … I don’t judge, but you guys do,” she said.
“I stay in my lane, the non-judgy one, and I keep it. But no, actually, I don’t bleach my skin. So, can we just kinda clear that up?”
Fans reacted:
“Idk what she be doing, but whatever it is, she needs to STOP!!!!!,” a social media person wrote.
“Michael Jackson said the same thing… until his nose fell off😂,” another fan commented.
