Photo: Getty Images
Serena Williams is shutting down speculation about her bleaching her skin.
On Monday (December 2), Williams was on Instagram Live showing her followers her makeup routine using products from her brand, Wyn Beauty, when she addressed the rumors.
“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. “There is a thing called sunlight, and in that sunlight, you get different colors.”
Williams' comments come after the tennis star shared a video of her and her husband, Alexis Ohanian, volunteering at their daughter's play. The video sparked speculation that Williams was altering her complexion by bleaching her skin.
During her Instagram Live, Williams explained that her skin color may have appeared lighter due to the lighting and the type of makeup she was wearing.
“Yes, I’m calling you out on this because it is ridiculous,” Williams 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.”
Williams has previously spoken about loving herself and her complexion.
“I’ve never been a person that has been like, ‘I want to be a different color’ or ‘I want my skin tone to be lighter,’” she told British Vogue in 2020. “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.”
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