Serena Williams' husband, Alexis Ohanian, has launched a fierce defence of the tennis icon against online trolls who have speculated she bleaches her skin. The 42-year-old Reddit co-founder responded after Williams, 44, shared family photos from her sister Venus Williams' wedding.
A Family Celebration Sparks Unfounded Criticism
The photos, posted on X and Instagram, showed Serena Williams seated in an elegant strapless white gown with a Watteau train and lace gloves. Her daughters, eight-year-old Olympia and two-year-old Adira, stood beside her in dresses, with Ohanian behind them in a dark suit. Williams captioned the moment: 'Joy does not always roar sometimes it whispers. It important to savor those sweet moments… I love this picture so I wanted to share it with you.'
Ohanian swiftly reposted the images on X with a pointed message: 'Where are all the comments from idiots who don’t understand how photography lighting works.' When a user challenged him, suggesting he was dismissing legitimate concerns, Ohanian fired back: 'Or: photos from the same event can look different based on lighting.'
Williams' Past Denunciations of 'Ridiculous' Claims
This is not the first time the retired tennis champion has addressed the persistent and harmful speculation. Back in 2024, Williams went on Instagram Live to slam the accusations after posting a video on X. 'For you haters out there, I do not bleach my skin,' she stated firmly. 'There is a thing called sunlight, and in that sunlight, you get different colours. Yes, I’m calling you out on this because it is ridiculous.'
She powerfully affirmed her identity, adding: 'I’m a dark, Black woman, and I love who I am, and I love how I look.' She has previously noted that changes in her sun exposure routine have contributed to variations in her appearance.
A Pattern of Public Support from Ohanian
This incident marks another instance of Ohanian publicly standing up for his wife, whom he married in 2017. Last year, he defended Williams after she faced criticism for crip walking to Kendrick Lamar's 'Not Like Us' during a Super Bowl Halftime show in 2025. He highlighted that she was criticised for the same dance at Wimbledon 13 years prior, stating, 'This is bigger than the music.'
He also confronted sports commentator Stephen A. Smith on his show 'First Take', offering a sharp retort about staying in one's lane when Smith joked about marriage advice. Ohanian's unwavering support continues to win admiration from fans on social media.
Serena Williams, widely regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time, held the WTA world number one ranking for 319 weeks. Her legendary career included 23 Grand Slam singles titles, just one short of Margaret Court's all-time record. She retired from professional tennis in 2022 after 27 years, following her last major win at the 2017 Australian Open.
