Serena Williams, the 23-time Grand Slam champion, has made her stance clear: she has not bleached her skin.

During a recent Instagram Live session, the 43-year-old tennis legend addressed persistent rumors and criticism about her skin tone. These rumors arose after a video of her attending a school event with her husband, Alexis Ohanian, and their daughters, Olympia and Adira, went viral.

Complexion Became A Hot Topic on Fun-Filled Family Instagram Live

In the video, Williams appeared to be having a great time with her family, but her complexion became a hot topic online.

Social media users speculated about changes to her skin tone, with one user writing, “What happened to her?” Another added, “she was a dark skinned black woman. Now? I don’t know wtf is going on.”

Williams took the opportunity to set the record straight during her live makeup tutorial for her cosmetics brand, Wyn Beauty. While applying foundation, she stated, “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.”

She went on to explain, “There is a thing called sunlight, and in that sunlight, you get different colors.” Williams clarified that the now-viral video was filmed while she was volunteering at her daughter’s play and wearing stage makeup.

Unapologetic and confident, Williams directly addressed the accusations: “Yes, I’m calling you out on this because it is ridiculous. I’m a dark, Black woman, and I love who I am, and I love how I look. Skin bleaching is just not my thing.”

Addressing The “Bleaching” Notion

Although Williams made it clear that skin bleaching is not part of her routine, she emphasized her non-judgmental attitude toward those who choose to lighten their skin. “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.

Her words reflected both pride in her identity and frustration with the negativity. “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 has always been candid about her beauty journey. Earlier this year, she shared an Instagram video of a radio frequency treatment to tighten her abdomen, stating, “I can see progress with my skin going back to normal and my confidence coming back.”

Despite the online chatter comparing her to figures like Sammy Sosa or references to films like White Chicks, Williams remains unfazed, gracefully shutting down the rumors while continuing to focus on her family and ventures.

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