Serena Williams is calling a fault on one ridiculous rumor.
Two years after the 23-time Grand Slam champion stepped off the tennis court, she addressed speculation that claimed she’s been lightening her skin.
“For you haters out there, I do not bleach my skin,” Serena said while doing her makeup in a Dec. 2 Instagram Live. “There is a thing called sunlight and in that sunlight, you get different colors.”
After all, since putting down her racket professionally in 2022, the 43-year-old—who shares daughters Olympia, 7, and Adira, 15 months, with husband Alexis Ohanian—is no longer spending hours on the court practicing for tournaments.
Serena also addressed a now-viral clip from last month that had critics speculating she was using bleach, revealing that she was actually wearing “stage makeup” at her daughter’s play.
“I’m calling you out on this because it is ridiculous,” she continued. “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.”
