Serena Williams has insisted that she does not bleach her skin to make it lighter (Image: GETTY)
has clapped back at ‘haters’ who have accused her of bleaching her skin to achieve a lighter complexion, insisting she loves being a ‘dark black woman’.The 43-year-old addressed the claims in a video on while doing a makeup tutorial, making it clear that skin lightening was not a procedure that appealed to her.While applying foundation, she said: “Then I put just that neutral colour, that is actually my skin colour, and no, for you haters out there, I do not bleach my skin. There is a thing called sunlight, and in that sunlight, you get different colours.”Williams was addressing a viral video in which she wore ‘stage makeup’ while volunteering at her daughter’s school play.
The 43-year-old explained that she was proud of being a ‘dark black woman’ (Image: GETTY)
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She continued: “Yes, I’m calling you out on this because it is ridiculous. 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.”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 kind of clear that up?”Williams has not shied away from speaking about her experiences as a black woman in professional sport. In 2020, she told that she had to work twice as hard as her white counterparts to earn the same level of respect.
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She also spoke about her public perception, saying: “I feel like people think I’m mean, really tough and really mean and really street. I believe that the other girls in the locker room will say: ‘Serena is really nice’.”Maria Sharapova, who might not talk to anybody, might be perceived by the public as nicer. Why is that? Because I’m black and so I look mean? That’s the society we live in.”That’s life. They say African-Americans have to be twice as good, especially women. I’m perfectly OK with having to be twice as good.”Williams added that she felt underpaid and undervalued at times but insisted she was proud of representing women who look like her.She said: “I’ve never been a person that has been like: ‘I want to be a different colour’. Or: ‘I want my skin tone to be lighter’. I like who I am, I like how I look, and I love representing the beautiful dark women out there. For me, it’s perfect.”