Sports
Serena Williams debunks skin bleaching rumors amid backlash
Tennis icon Serena Williams has dismissed speculation that she bleaches her skin, following a viral video that sparked online debate.
During an Instagram Live session, the 43-year-old addressed the rumours while walking fans through her makeup routine. She attributed the perceived difference in her skin tone to lighting and stage makeup she had worn while volunteering at her daughter Olympia’s school play.
“There is a thing called sunlight, and in that sunlight, you get different colours,” Williams explained.
She emphasized her pride in her identity, saying, “I’m a dark Black woman, and I love who I am and how I look. That’s just not my thing.”
While firmly denying the allegations, she acknowledged that skin-lightening practices are a personal choice for some: “If people do it, that’s their thing, and they have every opportunity, and they should. I don’t judge. But no, I actually don’t bleach my skin. So can we just kind of clear that up?”
The video that ignited the rumors showed Williams with her husband, Alexis Ohanian, volunteering at Olympia’s school play.
Comments flooded social media, with some speculating that her lighter appearance was due to chemical peels or makeup, while others defended her, attributing the change to lighting or the absence of extended sun exposure following her retirement.
NewsSerena Williams denies skin bleaching rumors amid backlash
Published 3 hours ago on December 3, 2024By Faith Alofe
Tennis icon Serena Williams has dismissed speculation that she bleaches her skin, following a viral video that sparked online debate.
During an Instagram Live session on Monday, the 43-year-old addressed the rumors while walking fans through her makeup routine.
Responding directly to critics, Williams stated, “And no, for you haters out there, I do not bleach my skin.”
She attributed the perceived difference in her skin tone to lighting and stage makeup she had worn while volunteering at her daughter Olympia’s school play.
“There is a thing called sunlight, and in that sunlight, you get different colors,” Williams explained.
She emphasized her pride in her identity, saying, “I’m a dark Black woman, and I love who I am and how I look. That’s just not my thing.”
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While firmly denying the allegations, she acknowledged that skin-lightening practices are a personal choice for some: “If people do it, that’s their thing, and they have every opportunity, and they should. I don’t judge. But no, I actually don’t bleach my skin. So can we just kind of clear that up?”
The video that ignited the rumors showed Williams with her husband, Alexis Ohanian, volunteering at Olympia’s school play.
Comments flooded social media, with some speculating that her lighter appearance was due to chemical peels or makeup, while others defended her, attributing the change to lighting or the absence of extended sun exposure following her retirement.
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“She’s retired from playing tennis in the sun, 12 hours a day. People are so weird and stupid,” one supporter wrote.
Another added, “She ain’t bleaching; she just doesn’t know how to do her makeup.”
Williams also pointed out that her golden bathroom wallpaper and lighting can sometimes alter the way her skin tone appears in photos and videos.
Williams, who turned 43 in September, has been retired from professional tennis since her final appearance at the 2022 US Open.
Sports
Haaland signs new 10-year deal with City — longest contract extension in EPL
Erling Haaland has agreed to a new 10-year deal as a Manchester City player.
The club announced the deal in a statement on its website on Friday.
“Erling Haaland has signed a new 10-year Manchester City contract, keeping him at the Club until the summer of 2034,” the statement reads.
The length of the 24-year-old’s new deal is the longest contract extension in the English Premier League (EPL), surpassing Cole Palmer’s nine-year agreement with Chelsea.
Haaland moved to the Etihad in 2022 from Borussia Dortmund. The Norwegian scored 52 goals in all competitions in his debut season, including 36 in the EPL to win the league’s Golden Boot prize. He also broke the league record of goals scored by a player in a single season.
His goals led Man City to an impressive treble of trophies: EPL, FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League.
The striker has scored 111 goals in 126 games in his two-and-a-half season at the club.
Sports
Benue audits Lobi’s finances, asks three former vice-chairmen to refund N2.4bn
The Benue state government has asked three former Lobi Stars vice-chairmen to return N2.4 billion into the club’s coffer.
In a statement on Friday, Tersoo Kula, the press secretary to Hyacinth Alia, governor of Benue, said the revelation was included in a white paper report of a forensic audit investigation into Lobi’s finances inaugurated by the state government.
Alia launched a probe into the club’s funds in October 2024. The investigative committee studied the handover notes submitted by the outgoing board of the club and Lobi’s income.
The investigation report covers Lobi’s financial details from January 2020 to September 2024.
Kula said the audit report, released to the state government in November 2024, revealed that Lobi Stars generated N3,759,820,269 during the period under review.
However, he added that only N1,314,807,672 of the generated sum could be accounted for.
The statement then demanded the three immediate past vice-chairmen of Lobi Stars refund the deficit to the club’s account.
“The breakdown indicates that Mr Mike Idoko and others who worked with him are to refund the sum of two hundred and forty-three million, nine hundred and fifty-five thousand, and eighty-one naira, forty-four kobo (₦243,955,081.44) for the period of 2020-2021,” the statement reads.
“Mr. Emmanuel Taman and others who worked under him are to refund four hundred and thirty-four million, three hundred and eighteen thousand, nine hundred and sixty-four naira, twelve kobo (₦434,318,964.12) for 2021-2022.
“Mr. Dominic Iorfa and others are to refund the sum of six hundred and ninety-two million, four hundred and fifty-three thousand, nine hundred and twenty-seven naira, sixty kobo (₦692,453,927.60) for 2022-2023, and seven hundred and two million, eight hundred and seventy-five thousand naira (₦702,875,000) for 2023-2024, as well as three hundred and seventy-one million, four hundred and nine thousand, six hundred and twenty-three naira, seventy-six kobo (₦371,409,623.76) for 2024-2025.”
The committee also recommended that Lobi Stars be registered as a revenue-generating company and that funds from the club’s sponsors be deposited directly into the club’s account.
The panel also advocated for the club’s independence, stating that Benue’s sports ministry should no longer control or interfere in its day-to-day operations.
Sports
Everton sack Sean Dyche, name club captain as interim player-manager
Everton have sacked Sean Dyche as the club’s manager.
The Merseyside club announced the dismissal of the 53-year-old English manager in a statement on Thursday.
Everton also dismissed Ian Woan, Steve Stone, Mark Howard and Billy Mercer — members of Dyche’s crew.
The club said Seamus Coleman, the team’s captain, will temporarily take charge of first-team affairs alongside Leighton Baines, Everton’s U-18 head coach.
“The process to appoint a new manager is under way and an update will be provided in due course,” the statement reads.
Dyche leaves his post a few hours before Everton played Peterborough in the third round of the FA Cup.
On Saturday, Everton suffered their eighth league defeat of the season following a 1-0 league loss to Bournemouth. The result left the Toffees in 16th position, just one point from relegation places as Everton fights against the drop in consecutive seasons.
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