Serena Williams Fires Back at Critics, Refutes Skin Bleaching Claims
Serena Williams shut down rumors that she bleached her skin while calling out the «haters» who spread the claims.
On Instagram Live Monday, Dec. 2, the 43-year-old 23-time Grand Slam champion addressed speculation that she had intentionally altered her complexion.
The rumors surfaced after she posted a video from a school event, where she was accompanied by her husband, Alexis Ohanian, and their two daughters.
During a makeup tutorial for her Wyn Beauty (pronounced «win») brand, the former athlete took the opportunity to address the issue. «And then I just apply this neutral shade, which is actually my natural skin color. And no, for all you haters, I do not bleach my skin,» Williams stated as she finished her makeup routine.
She added, «There’s this thing called sunlight, and in that sunlight, you can get different shades.»
“Yes, I’m calling you out because this is just ridiculous,” Williams said, making it clear that she’s proud of who she is.
“Everyone’s saying, ‘Oh, she bleached her skin.’ I’m a dark, Black woman, and I love who I am and how I look,” the tennis legend added, emphasizing that such changes aren’t something she’s interested in.
While she respects others who choose to lighten their skin, she stressed that it’s not something for her. «If others decide to do it, that’s their choice, and they have every right to do so. I don’t judge, but you do,» Williams explained.
She continued, “That’s the way the world works, and I just stay in my lane — the lane where I don’t judge — and that’s how I keep it. But no, I don’t bleach my skin, so can we just clear that up?»
Williams has been transparent about the procedures she’s undergone in the past.
In June, the mother of two posted an Instagram video showing herself receiving a radio frequency treatment to tighten her stomach at a spa in Paris.
“Allowing myself to take time for me has always been a challenge,” she wrote in the caption. “I’ve finally started to be okay with taking an hour (during nap time 🙈) away from my kids and work to focus on myself.”
