Twenty-three-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams has been tapped to grace the cover of Essence magazine, sharing with the world the woman she has become after her legendary tennis career.
However, some people think she has become something very unnatural to whoever she was born to be, saying that miraculously she has turned into a white woman right before the public’s eye.
The mother of two posted a behind-the-scenes video on her Instagram of the shoot, serving up several fierce looks with what looks like a 40-inch blond wig.
The opening shot is shoes galore before panning the Chanel jewelry spread. From a black slinky satin number to a red and white outfit, topped off by a red feather hat, fashion and style seems to come second nature to the A-lister.
Her face is beat to the gods by a makeup artist, using her own Wyn brand, and in frame after frame she is reminding people that the superstar she was on the court is the same superstar she is off it.
Graciously, she captioned the post, “Thank you so much, @essence, for allowing me to grace your cover to talk about my business ventures.”
She continued, “From investing in women and diversity with my VC company @serena.ventures to having my active makeup line that lasts all day and is clean and vegan, I love being a businesswoman. I told you I was not going anywhere; I was just evolving. Thanks, @wyn! Now let’s go and #WYN.”
However, while the post was meant to inspire, there were many in her comment section who dredged up a persistent claim — that the Compton native, who currently has an estimated net worth of $340 million, according to Forbes, wants to be white.
One comment wondered, “Why does she look so light?”
More questions poured in, with one person asking, “Who is that white woman?” as another mocked, “Girl you done turned into a whole white women before my eyes and you think I want to join you.”
Immediately the mother of two’s supporters took aim, defending their queen.
“I remember yall came for Megan Good when she popped out lighter and accused her of bleaching. She had to aht aht aht and tell yall she got a chemical peel,” one person said, explaining, “Serena doesn’t play in the sun anymore and skincare has come a long way since 2003.”
The person then added, “Everybody needs to take several seats and try something other than clean and clear and clearasil k thanks.”
This is not the first time that Serena has been accused of trying to be white. Many point to her marriage to Alexis Ohanian, the co-founder of Reddit and the father of her two little girls, as influencing her to lighten her skin, reduce her more African features with makeup and try other cosmetic procedures to look more European.
While there were critics, so many people loved what they saw and celebrated not just her but her products.
“By the way just Burn the set down can’t anyone else use it because Serena scorched it completely,” someone posted.
Then comments started to talk about how beautiful her brown skin looked.
“Absolutely stunning [fire emojis],” someone wrote, “And you’re doing a body cream, let me know because your skin is heavy on the GLOW!”
Another said, “That melanin is on [fire emojis].”
Williams graces the cover of the November/December “Holiday and Business Issue,” where she opens up about her success as a venture capitalist.
With investments in over 85 companies, including 14 billion-dollar “unicorns,” Serena proves she’s as formidable in the boardroom as she is on the tennis court. She also shares a glimpse of her everyday life, balancing her high-powered career with more routine tasks like picking up her kids from school.
While this new look at Serena’s empire is turning heads, she’s not just buying real estate, launching clothing and makeup lines, but working with her husband to ensure both of their daughters become multi-millionaires before they’re old enough to date — much like what her father did for her.
