I recently saw some photos of my sister Serena, and while I’m not here to bash her or put her down, I do have some concerns. There’s been a noticeable change in her appearance, and honestly, I don’t like it. I’m worried about her health. It’s hard not to notice how much her skin tone seems to have changed, and it’s raising some questions.
We’ve all heard people like Dr. Umar talk about skin bleaching in the black community, and it’s becoming a bigger conversation. Serena’s name has been brought up a lot lately in this context. But here’s the thing—Serena herself has denied bleaching her skin. She explained that the color of her skin is natural and that sunlight can make her skin look different. She even mentioned how stage makeup during an event at her daughter’s school might have contributed to the appearance of her skin in the pictures.
Despite her saying this, the rumors still swirl. People have speculated about other changes to her appearance over the years too, from possible nose jobs to cheekbone implants, even accusing her of using drugs or surgery to lose weight after having her daughter.
Most recently, a video of Serena at her daughter’s school event went viral, and the main topic of discussion wasn’t her supporting her daughter but how her skin looked much lighter than usual. It’s a tricky situation that raises bigger questions about beauty standards and the pressures women—especially black women—face in the public eye.
Serena Williams recently took to Instagram Live to clear up rumors that she’s been bleaching her skin. While going through her makeup routine, she addressed the claims directly, saying, “No, for you haters out there, I do not bleach my skin.” She explained that sunlight causes skin to change color, and that’s what was happening to her. She also mentioned that the makeup she was wearing was stage makeup, which she had put on after volunteering to help backstage with the kids at a performance. Serena made it clear that while she doesn’t judge anyone who chooses to alter their skin tone, that’s just not for her. “If people do it, that’s their thing. They have every right to do so, and I don’t judge, but you guys do. That’s just how the world works,” she said. “I stay in my lane—the non-judgmental one.”
Despite Serena’s explanation, some people weren’t convinced. A few argued that while she may not be bleaching her skin, she’s still doing something to alter it. Others pointed out that sunlight usually makes darker skin tones deeper, not lighter. Serena has continued to deny that she’s changed her skin color, though the rumors have been swirling around her for some time now.
There’s also been speculation that Serena’s white husband might have influenced her desire to appear lighter. A person named Booy shared his opinion, saying, “I think if you’re doing that, you don’t like being Black. Some people, when they’re around white people too much, they start wanting to look like them. Just like how Black people around other Black people might want to reflect that.”
It’s possible that Serena’s skin appears lighter simply because she doesn’t spend as much time in the sun as she used to. But this isn’t the first time a Black woman in the public eye has been accused of skin lightening. Celebrities like Beyoncé have also faced similar accusations, particularly after photos from the premiere of her Renaissance concert film made the rounds online.
Tina Knowles stood up for her daughter, Beyoncé, when people started accusing her of lightening her skin. She called the accusations “stupid, ignorant, and self-hating.” She shared a post saying, “I came across this today and had to speak up after seeing all these ridiculous claims that she’s lightening her skin and wearing platinum hair because she wants to be white. She made a film called The Renaissance, where everything—her hair, the carpet, even the clothes—was silver. But somehow, people are saying she’s bleaching her skin to look white?”
Tina also revealed that a white journalist had even reached out to Beyoncé’s hairstylist, Neil Farina, asking for a statement about fans claiming Beyoncé wanted to look white. Tina was furious, calling it something that made her “blood boil.” She pointed out that plenty of legendary Black artists, like Etta James, wore platinum hair long before Beyoncé, but no one was accusing them of trying to be white. Tina finished her post with frustration: “I’m tired of people attacking her every time she works hard on something. You’ve got these jealous, racist, sexist people with their double standards coming out of nowhere. She minds her business, she helps people, she lifts up Black women and supports the underdog.”
While Beyoncé has never said she bleached her skin, she’s been accused of lightening her complexion in photos. Her team denies it, explaining that lighting and photo editing are to blame. Still, many people see this as just as problematic as actually bleaching her skin.
Then there’s Lil’ Kim, who changed the game for women in hip-hop, but also underwent a lot of physical changes that sparked conversation. In 2019, she walked the runway at The Blonds fashion show, but her appearance had many fans questioning her transformation. Some posted comments like:
“Love her music, but I don’t get why she went from being a beautiful Black woman to looking like an Asian woman. What happened?” “She doesn’t even sound the same anymore.” “Why do celebrities look so fake these days?”
Lil’ Kim has explained her decisions around plastic surgery by opening up about her painful past. She shared that her ex-boyfriend had physically abused her, breaking her nose. She had to have surgery multiple times to repair the damage. She also suffered from other injuries, including blood clots from the abuse, and even had to undergo MRIs. Kim said she eventually got tired of hiding her injuries, covering them up with makeup and pretending they were allergic reactions. Instead, she decided to undergo surgery to fix the physical signs of what she’d been through.
She also admitted that she’s struggled with low self-esteem for a long time. Her boyfriends would cheat on her with women who looked European, and it made her feel like she wasn’t good enough. She said, “I’ve always had low self-esteem. I’d be with guys who would cheat on me with women who looked European. It made me feel like I couldn’t compete. Being a regular Black girl just wasn’t enough.”
These stories show how insecurities and difficult experiences, along with society’s beauty standards, can influence the way people, especially public figures, choose to transform themselves.
Kim opened up about what she had to do to fit in:
“I did what I had to do to survive. I ran errands for dealers, lived with them—anything just to make ends meet. All my life, men have told me I wasn’t pretty enough, even the ones I was dating. And I’d ask, ‘Well, why are you with me then?’”
Nicki Minaj has also been accused of bleaching her skin, especially after posting pictures with her family in Trinidad. Some people thought she looked out of place, claiming she was much lighter than the rest of her family.
Rihanna, too, has been criticized for getting progressively blonder, though she hasn’t addressed the accusations, leaving people to wonder if there’s any truth to them.
Ciara is another celebrity who has been accused of skin bleaching, but she hasn’t commented on the rumors. Michael Jackson’s sisters, LaToya and Janet, have also faced similar accusations, particularly LaToya. Like Michael, they say their changes in appearance are due to makeup, lighting, and skin conditions, not intentional bleaching.
Megan Good faced her own allegations, but she denied them. She explained that an unlicensed aesthetician gave her a cream to treat sun damage, but it lightened her skin unexpectedly. The aesthetician told her the lightening would fade, and her natural complexion would return—but months later, it never did.
Black Chyna took things even further by launching “Black Chyna Diamond Illuminating and Lightening Cream” in Nigeria, which came from a controversial skincare brand called WhiteNicious. The brand’s name alone has sparked criticism for seeming to associate lighter skin with beauty.
A big reason why many Black women in the public eye bleach their skin is because society, the media, and even men have often told them their darker skin isn’t beautiful enough. This issue has been around for decades.
When it comes to Serena Williams, people didn’t expect her to be caught up in skin bleaching rumors. Though she denies it, it makes you wonder. What do you think—did Serena bleach her skin?
Which celebrities do you think have definitely bleached their skin? And what’s your take on Black celebrities bleaching their skin? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
