Serena Williams has been accused of bleaching her skin on several occasions in recent years – and the seven-time Wimbledon champ has finally addressed the rumors head-on!
The 43-year-old tennis pro responded to the allegations during a makeup tutorial for her Wyn Beauty brand on Instagram Live on December 2nd, and called those who accused her of lightening her skin “haters.”
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Serena Williams Addresses Skin Bleaching Allegations On Instagram Live
The mom-of-two, who shares daughters Olympia, 7, and Adira, 1, with husband Alexis Ohanian, most recently faced skin bleaching allegations after she shared a video of herself at a school event last month, with the internet thinking she looked almost unrecognizable with her noticeably lighter skin. Check out a repost of the video here.
In her Wyn Beauty makeup tutorial on Instagram Live, the four-time Olympic gold medalist said: “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.”
“There is a thing called sunlight, and in that sunlight, you get different colors,” last year’s CFDA ‘Fashion Icon’ recipient went on, before referencing the controversial video from last month. She explained that she was volunteering at her daughter’s school play and was wearing ‘stage makeup,’ which could have been what caused her skin to appear lighter in the video.
Serena Williams Says Skin Bleaching Is Not Her 'Thing,' But Wouldn't Judge Others For Doing It
"Yes, I'm calling you out on this because it is ridiculous. Everyone's like, 'Oh, she bleached her skin.' I'm a dark, Black woman, and I love who I am, and I love how I look," she clarified.
She then went on to say that while skin bleaching is not her "thing," she wouldn't judge anyone who wanted to do it themselves. "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.
Williams concluded by saying: "But that's what this world is about, and I stay in my lane — the non-judgy one, and I keep it. But no, I actually don't bleach my skin, so can we just kinda clear that up?"
