Serena Williams has hit back at “haters” who have claimed she bleaches her skin to a lighter shade.
The Olympic champion, 43, whose husband underwent thyroid surgery last week, addressed the claims she altered her complexion in a candid Instagram live video while doing a makeup tutorial.
Williams spoke directly to her 17 million followers and made clear she loves being a “dark black woman” and skin lightening is not a procedure she is interested in undergoing.
Applying foundation from her Wyn Beauty line, the tennis star explained: “Then I put just that neutral colour, that is actually my skin colour, 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 colours,” she continued.
Addressing a viral video from late November where she was volunteering at her daughter’s school play, Williams said she was wearing “stage makeup” that caused her skin to appear lighter.
“Yes, I’m calling you out on this because it is ridiculous,” she said. “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.”
The tennis champion added that skin lightening is “just not my thing” but doesn’t judge those who choose to undertake the procedure.
“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.
“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?” Williams concluded.
Speaking to Vogue in 2020, Williams said she has been treated differently as a result of her skin colour but never wanted to change it.
As a Black woman, she explained she had been “underpaid” and “undervalued” numerous times but finds joy in representing women who look like her.
“I’ve never been a person that has been like, ‘I want to be a different colour’ or ‘I want my skin tone to be lighter,’” she said.
“I like who I am, I like how I look, and I love representing the beautiful dark women out there. For me, it’s perfect. I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
