Serena Williams retired from tennis in 2022, and she gave birth to her second daughter in 2023. She’s spent much of this year losing the baby weight, traveling, launching her new skincare/beauty line and just generally being herself. Serena has always been extra and open on social media, and she’s always posting a lot of stuff and giving her fans a view of her personal life. Because she posts so much, people have been talking about her evolving look in the past few years. Personally, I don’t like the blonde hair that much on Serena, but she loves it. But there have been several people loudly discussing whether or not Serena “bleaches her skin,” because in some of her social media photos, she does seem to look a bit lighter. Instead of just rationalizing it – maybe it was the lighting, maybe it was her makeup – those people have been loudly pouring scorn on Serena. Well, she clapped back this week.
Serena Williams denied rumors that she bleached her skin while calling out the “haters” who claimed she did. During an Instagram Live on Monday, Dec. 2, the 23-time Grand Slam champion, 43, addressed claims that she purposely altered her complexion after she recently shared a video of herself at a school event with her husband Alexis Ohanian and their two daughters Olympia, 7, and Adira, 15 months. While doing a makeup tutorial for her Wyn Beauty (pronounced “win”) brand, the former athlete saw the perfect opportunity to weigh in on the topic.
“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 as she applied her glam.
“There is a thing called sunlight, and in that sunlight, you get different colors,” she continued.
The tennis star explained that she was volunteering at her daughter’s play in the now-viral video from late November, and was wearing “stage makeup” when she recorded the clip. “Yes, I’m calling you out on this because it is ridiculous,” Williams said, before stating that she is proud of who she is. “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 pro athlete continued, adding that that type of alteration is “just not my thing.”
Williams has no issues with others who may lighten their skin, but she reiterated that it’s not a procedure she’s interested in doing. “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,” 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?” she concluded.
I don’t think she’s bleaching her skin at all. I love Serena fiercely, but I think the larger problem is her terrible makeup in general, plus some lighting issues and airbrushing issues. Many of us groaned when she launched Wyn Beauty, because Serena doesn’t know what the hell she’s doing in the beauty field. Plus, I think that as Serena has aged (and she’s not playing tennis full-time in the sun anymore), she’s taking better care of her skin, which means sunscreen, etc. That’s playing a part too.
Photos courtesy of Serena’s IG.
I will say Wyn beauty is great. The best color matching I’ve ever had. I’m black with neutral undertones and mixed overtones and color matching has always been a special hell. But perfect color match and it has great coverage while being super lightweight perfect summer foundation. But listen I’m never going to harsh on a black woman who has been called a man for a great deal of her public life. That has to be really hard, the make up is good tho.
She definitely doesn’t bleach hers skin, and I never thought she did. The blonde wigs and unfortunate contouring and makeup are the problems.
Agreed on this.
She needs a better glam squad (does such a thing even exist?) And that’s it.
I don’t have a problem with her, and I haven’t tried her beauty products. I’m glad she stopped experimenting with lip fillers. My bigger problem with black folk on social media who attack any black person for being shades lighter in photographs, as if lighting and the sun don’t make a difference. I straight up have to have 2 foundations. One for summer and one for winter. If I buy the wrong one and put it on the wrong time of year, I either look like a ghost or practicing black fact. Black people tan. Deal with it.
I just….I like her so much in terms of personality. But she does fillers! Especially lip fillers! She doesn’t need the tweaking (I mean, one could argue that no one does). And I get that it may be her thing but mannnnnnnn women let’s just let ourselves be.
Outdoor tennis means a constant tan. She’s outside less since retirement. It’s not hard y’all. lol. Even regular Black folks change shades regularly.
I just assumed the same thing. She’s a retired pro and has been pretty busy with her various business ventures so she’s probably not outside in the sun as much anymore.
I think you nailed it with the “not playing tennis out in the sun anymore!” This feels like a totally normal thing that would happen when a professional outdoor athlete stops needing to spend all that time in the sun.
I have never been the kind of competitive athlete that Serena is, but for years I did four seasons’ worth of outdoor sports that required me be out in the sun for practices/games/tournaments. When I stopped competing due to bad knees and stupid adulthood, I went from being someone who wore a MAC 3-3.5 to a 1.5. Was I perfect about sunscreen reapplication in those days? I was not, but I was decent — sun exposure just impacts your skin.