AceShowbiz - Serena Williams has broken her silence on rumors about her appearance. After claims suggesting that she bleached her skin circulated online, the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion responded to the speculations.

Recently, the 43-year-old former professional tennis player went on an Instagram Live to show off her makeup routine. During the livestream, she also shared her response to the rumors, calling them "ridiculous."

In a video from the livestream, which made its rounds online on Monday, December 2, Serena was documented applying makeup on her glowing face. At one point, she discussed the shade of makeup that she usually uses, saying, "And then I put just that neutral color that is actually my skin color."

Serena stressed, "And no, for you haters out there, I do not bleach my skin." She went on to explain, "There is a thing called sunlight, and in that sunlight, you get different colors. And if I'm not posting and recorrecting my pictures and posting from my daughter's [play] that I was volunteering on and had stage makeup on."

"Yes, I'm calling you out on this because it is ridiculous that everyone's like, 'Oh she bleaches skin.' " the retired athlete continued. "I'm a dark black woman and I love who I am and I love how I look and that's just not my thing. And if people do it, that's their thing."

Serena further stated, "No, I actually don't bleach my skin. So, can we just like kinda clear that up?" Later on, she mentioned the new wallpaper in her bathroom that "works better for the light." She added, "It gives me more of my true color. The color that I've never bleached. I'll be seeing y'all."

The statement came after Serena made headlines for allegedly bleaching her skin. In late November, she posted a video that sparked a debate about her skin tone. In the clip, her skin looked much lighter than usual, prompting some commentators to suspect skin bleaching.