Serena Williams Responds to Viral Rumors About Her Appearance

Serena Williams has faced relentless commentary about her appearance and weight loss in recent years. The tennis icon has repeatedly addressed comments about her appearance, including a viral X video that fueled rumors she had lightened her skin tone.

What happened?

In 2021, Williams deleted an Instagram photo after being accused of purposefully altering her complexion. In 2024, she outright denied claims that she'd lightened her skin tone, saying, "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."

Why it matters for Serena Williams

Williams has been open about her weight loss journey, revealing last year that she'd been using a GLP-1 to aid weight loss. She told TODAY, "As an athlete and as someone that has done everything, I just couldn't get my weight to where I needed to be at a healthy place, and believe me, I don't take shortcuts. I do everything but shortcuts."

What comes next?

Williams has continued to document her weight loss journey on social media, posting photos of herself in a sleeveless crop top. The caption read, "What would you do if you weren't afraid?" Over on TikTok, Williams shared a video of herself dancing and wrote, "Looks like my knee is getting better. Finally!" The star recently withdrew from the Wimbledon Championships due to a severe injury in her right knee.

Williams' posts were quickly flooded with comments from users who felt she looked totally unrecognizable. "wait that's not Serena Williams who is that," one TikTok user said, while another wrote, "didn't even recognize her." Amid the discourse, some people jumped to Williams' defense. "yall forever finding something to knitpick this woman for just for existing," one user wrote, while someone else added, "The amount of hate for this lady is ridiculous."

The latest photos

Williams' latest Instagram photos show her looking confident and healthy, but some users were quick to comment on her appearance. "Honestly didn't recognize her," someone else said. "WHO IS THIS," another comment read. Amid the discourse, some people jumped to Williams' defense, saying, "yall forever finding something to knitpick this woman for just for existing."

The comments section was filled with users defending Williams and criticizing those who were criticizing her. "The amount of hate for this lady is ridiculous," one user wrote. Williams has been open about her weight loss journey and has used her platform to promote body positivity and self-acceptance.

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