Social media is buzzing with speculations surrounding Toni Braxton and her seemingly lighter skin complexion. These rumors not only focus on the renowned R&B singer but also extend to her son Denim Cole Braxton-Lewis, who is allegedly undergoing a similar transformation.
Many online suggest the two have undergone skin lightening after scrutinizing their older pictures. Social media users began comparing the “Breathe Again” recording artist’s complexion and her recent looks in photos. Observers are claiming the multi-Grammy winner’s complexion has changed over three decades, especially when examining the shift in skin tone from her debut album to more recent images in 2024.
But Braxton can’t seem to stray away from remarks such as “Brown skin beauty” or comments about her “extra light” skin.
Those who took a closer look at her 22-year-old son’s social media page also claimed to notice a transformation in his appearance. Fans asserted that just two or three years ago, particularly during his fashion collaboration with his brother Diezel as models for the Diesel brand, Denim appeared significantly darker.
The singer shares both of her sons with her ex-husband, Keri Lewis from Mint Condition. When questioned about whether they believe Denim is intentionally making himself lighter, a majority of commentators online overwhelmingly think so. Now, the debate revolves around the methods he might be employing to achieve his lighter skin tone.
“Of course he is, take a look at his knuckles,” one person wrote on Lipstick Alley. “I’m surprised he is even rubbing bleaching cream because rich people typically do iv glutathione injections to bleach their skin.”
Glutathione IV is a powerful treatment that detoxifies your body and also lightens your skin tone. Others suggested that the family overall is “color-struck” and hates their brown skin.
But this is not the first time people have floated the allegation that the Braxton family is obsessed with skin lightening. Many claimed that Tamar Braxton, Braxton’s younger sister’s skin was getting lighter over time in 2012. Tamar later explained that she actually has vitiligo, a disease that diminishes the melanin in one’s skin.
The “Love and War” singer snapped when addressing the skin-lightening rumors during an interview with Bossip, “I just want to know what time do I have to do that.”
“If you really think about it, we’ve been shooting ‘Braxton Family Values’ for two years, and then in between that it was ‘Tamar & Vince,’ and now we’re back into production with ‘Braxton Family Values,’” she said back in 2012.
Toni Braxton x Tamar Braxton. (2000s) pic.twitter.com/O48hiTLskk
— Davent Patel (@tnaved) January 15, 2024
Some fans argued that the accusations of skin-lightening come without proof or consideration that health matters might be the reason for the change in appearance.
“Where is the proof though?” one person wrote. “Y’all love to say everybody is bleaching. It’s weirdo behavior.”
In response to that, one person wrote, “Well I for one am the main one that suggest other reasons when Celebs have appeared lighter, but the paleness in his complexion is suspect.”
Adding, “Is there an illness that causes your skin to do that?”
Outside of Braxton’s systemic lupus erythematous, which may cause a rash and a lightening of the skin in that case, the contralto has not shared a medical reason why her skin appears lightened.
Denim has also not stated that he has a skin disease either.
The three Braxton sisters are not the only celebrities who have been accused of trying to whiten their skin. Stars like Lil Kim, Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, K. Michelle and more have also — however, in many of those cases the entertainers, their publicists, or the photographers state that they’ve used either a filter or light to achieve the paler skin tone.
