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.
Serena Williams Says Motherhood Has Changed the Way She Approaches Beauty: ‘Always Experimenting’
“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.
