Serena Williams Shuts Down Skin-Bleaching Accusations: ‘I Do Not Bleach My Skin!’

Serena Williams took to Instagram Live on Dec. 2 to slam social media bullies who accused her of bleaching her skin.The accusations began circulating after a video of the 43-year-old tennis star surfaced in November, showing her with what appeared to be a lighter complexion while attending an event for her 7-year-old daughter, Olympia.

On Monday, while sharing a makeup tutorial for her beauty brand, Wyn Beauty, Williams seized the moment to set the record straight and shut down the baseless claims once and for all.

“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,” the athlete said as she applied Wyn Beauty concealer under her eye, according to a clip posted by LiveBitez.

Williams explained that her lighter appearance resulted from a little “thing called sunlight.” The star added, “And in that sunlight, you get different colors.”

Addressing the skin-bleaching rumors head-on, Williams explained that she was wearing “stage makeup” while volunteering at her daughter Olympia’s school play, the video of which went viral in November. In the footage, Williams, who has 23 Grand Slam titles to her name, smiled brightly as she sat beside her husband, Alexis Ohanian, 41, at the event, sporting a blonde curly updo.

During her Instagram Live session on Monday, the entrepreneur and venture capitalist hit back at social media users spreading the rumors, calling the accusations “ridiculous” and proudly reaffirming her love for her dark skin.

“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 said. The California native then joked that her new bathroom wallpaper revealed her “true color,” adding emphatically that she had “never bleached” her skin.

Although the method may work for some, Williams strongly clarified that skin bleaching will never be part of her beauty routine, as it’s simply not her “thing.”

She added, “And if people do it, that’s their thing, and they have every opportunity and they should. I don’t judge, but you guys do. 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?” she concluded.

Williams has been open about certain aspects of her self-care and cosmetic journey.

In June, the tennis star shared a behind-the-scenes look at her tummy skin-tightening procedure in Paris, a gift from a close friend who knew she felt “self-conscious” about her tummy after giving birth to two beautiful children. Along with her 7-year-old daughter, Olympia, Williams also shares a 14-month-old daughter, Adira, with her husband.

“On my last trip to Paris a girlfriend of mine treated me to a spa day. She knows after 2 babies I have been self conscious of my tummy,” the olympian penned in a post shared on June 15, noting that her results were positive.

“I just had to post this video she took. The results have been amazing. I can see progress with my skin going back to normal and my confidence coming back. Listen, my body will never be the same but neither will I cause I have 2 amazing lights in my life,” she added.