Serena Williams responds to 'ridiculous' skin-bleaching accusations
The tennis star has a message for the "haters."
Serena Williams has firmly addressed rumors that she bleaches her skin, calling the accusations "ridiculous" during a candid Instagram Live session she shared on Monday.
The tennis star responded to speculation sparked by a recent video showing her at a school event with her family, where social media users called out that her skin appeared lighter — with many quickly jumping to conclusions, leading Williams to set the record straight while demonstrating products from her Wyn Beauty brand.
Williams, 43, explained that her appearance in the video was influenced by lighting, stage makeup and changes in her sun exposure.
While applying makeup, Williams said during the clip, "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's this thing called sunlight, and in that sunlight, you get different colors."
Williams continued, "Yes, I'm calling you out on this because it is ridiculous."
She also emphasized her pride in her identity, declaring, "I'm a dark-skinned Black woman, and I love who I am and how I look."
The 23-time Grand Slam champion criticized the assumptions made about her, attributing them to societal pressures and misunderstandings about beauty. She acknowledged that while others may choose to alter their skin tone, it is not something she has ever considered. "If people do it, that's their thing," Williams said, "but I stay in my lane — the non-judgy one."
Williams has been vocal about treating her skin in the past — revealing in 2023 that she used breast milk to help heal a sunburn.
The mother of two, who gave birth to her second child Adira last year, previously shared on TikTok "They say, 'Put breast milk on everything, and I have a lot extra," Williams said in a video she shared this week on TikTok. "So I'm going to try it for a week or so under my eyes."
Williams said the treatment worked, writing in the video's caption, "I have to say after a week of using MY breast milk under my eye - it worked!"
"GMA" previously interviewed Dr. Joshua Zeichner who affirmed Williams results saying that any type of milk, including breast milk, can help heal skin.