Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian doesn’t play when it comes to his wife, Serena Williams, and their loving family.
On Jan. 6, the 42-year-old investor took to X to call out people who were re-igniting skin-bleaching rumors about his wife after she shared a beautiful family photo on her Instagram account. In the image, the 44-year-old tennis champ could be seen beaming from ear to ear at her sister Venus’ wedding in December 2025, standing alongside Ohanian and their daughters, Adira, 2, and Olympia, 8, under bright lighting.
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The comments section was largely positive, with many fans gushing over how “beautiful” the family looked. However, Ohanian questioned whether the skin-bleaching critics had truly disappeared.
“Where are all the comments from idiots who don’t understand how photography lighting works?” the frustrated father captioned Venus’ photo on X.
It didn’t take long for a few detractors to resurface. One X user wrote, “Alexis wants Black people to believe we don’t know what photography lighting looks like vs blatant skin lightening.”
Ohanian quickly shut down the negativity, replying, “Or: photos from the same event can look different based on lighting.”
Several supporters jumped into the comments to back up the family man, including one user who wrote, “Ignore losers. They’re miserable.”
Serena Williams called the skin-bleaching rumors “ridiculous” in 2024.
In 2024, Serena Williams addressed the skin-bleaching rumors head-on after a video circulated showing her with a lighter complexion at an event for her daughter, Olympia. The tennis star called the accusations “ridiculous” during a candid Instagram Live session.
While sharing a makeup tutorial for her beauty brand, Wyn Beauty, Williams seized the opportunity to set the record straight and shut down the baseless claims once and for all.
“No, for you haters out there, I do not bleach my skin,” the athlete said as she applied Wyn concealer under her eye, she told fans.
Williams explained that her lighter appearance was due to wearing “stage makeup” while volunteering at her daughter Olympia’s school play, footage of which went viral in November 2024. In the video, Williams, who has 23 Grand Slam titles to her name, smiled brightly as she sat beside her husband, Alexis Ohanian, at the event, sporting a blonde, curly updo.
The 43-year-old also noted that changes in sun exposure contributed to her appearance.
“There’s this thing called sunlight, and in that sunlight, you get different colors.”
Williams continued, “Yes, I’m calling you out on this because it is ridiculous.”
She added, “Everyone’s like, ‘Oh, she bleached her skin.’ I’m a dark, Black woman, and I love who I am, and I love how I look,” she said. The California native then joked that her new bathroom wallpaper revealed her “true color,” stressing that she had “never bleached” her skin.
Before moving on to another topic, the former athlete made it clear that skin bleaching will never be part of her beauty routine, as it’s simply not her “thing.”
Don’t mess with Serena Williams or Alexis Ohanian!
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