Football supporters and social media users have expressed widespread outrage after racist online trolls targeted Bukayo Saka's fiancée, Tolami Benson, with vile accusations that she has been 'bleaching' her skin to appear lighter. The 25-year-old senior planning executive, who is engaged to the 24-year-old Arsenal superstar, was forced to post photographs of her white grandmother to demonstrate her mixed-race heritage and refute the baseless claims.
Deranged Social Media Pile-On
Tolami Benson endured a wave of bizarre and racist questioning about her skin tone after being photographed alongside her fiancé over the weekend as he signed his new contract with Arsenal. Trolls cruelly suggested her skin had looked 'darker' in previous images, sparking what supporters described as a 'deranged' online pile-on.
In response, Tolami directly addressed the situation on social media by sharing a photograph of her white grandmother and black grandfather to clearly show her mixed-race background. 'I love a tan and darker make-up. Privacy is peace,' she concluded in her post, highlighting the personal invasion she had experienced.
Wave of Support and Condemnation
The incident triggered an immediate flurry of support across social media platforms, with users expressing fury that Tolami had been compelled to 'explain herself to nonsense people online.' One supporter wrote: 'Tolami Benson bothers absolutely no one, yet here comes football Twitter accusing her of bleaching.'
Another added: 'The fact that you guys had to make Tolami Benson come online to defend herself against the bleaching allegations is crazy.' A third commenter stated: 'And if I was Tolami Benson… I wouldn’t post ANYTHING until World Cup season starts because you people are CRAZY!'
Many observers identified the abuse as a textbook example of misogyny within WAG culture, with one stating: 'It needs to be banished immediately. Debating her skin tone on a happy day, making her post grandparents’ pics to "prove" she's not bleaching? Black women deserve better than this constant policing.'
Background on the Couple
Bukayo Saka confirmed his engagement to long-term girlfriend Tolami Benson in November, having proposed during a romantic date at a luxury London hotel. The couple are believed to have begun dating in 2020 and have generally maintained a private relationship away from the public eye.
They shared several elegant black-and-white photographs on social media to announce their engagement, with one image prominently showcasing Tolami's engagement ring. While typically low-key on social media, the pair first went public at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where they were photographed embracing in the stands in Doha.
Public Appearances and Personal Life
Tolami has been a visible supporter of Saka during major tournaments, cheering him on from the stands at Euro 2024. Following England's 0-0 draw with Slovenia in June last year, the couple shared a kiss in the stadium. During England's 1-0 victory over Serbia at the tournament, Tolami wore a custom-made leather biker jacket featuring the number '87' – the same number Saka wore when he broke into Arsenal's senior side during the 2018-19 season.
Across her social media accounts, Tolami has frequently referenced Arsenal and maintains friendships with other Premier League WAGs, including Ben White's wife Milly and Leandro Trossard's wife Laura.
Originally from Hatfield in Hertfordshire, Tolami studied public relations and media at Birmingham City University. She previously worked on the shop floor at Harrods before building a career in public relations over several years. In May, she began a new role as a senior planning executive for Zenith.
