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For years, celebrities have been battling rumors that they bleach their skin every time they do a photo shoot with bright lighting, wear too much makeup, try bright blond hairstyles, or use the wrong filter on Instagram. And while some celebrities have opted to ignore such rumors altogether, others have shut them down in the hopes of keeping people from bringing up such foolishness again. Victoria’s Secret supermodel Jasmine Tookes had to do just that late last week after a video she posted (see the one above) left people thinking she looked lighter than usual. One specific follower said, “I think she bleached herself she used to look black,” and Tookes responded by asking, “Who in the world does that?”
She’s not alone in being sick and tired of questions about her skin. Check out the biggest bleaching rumor clapbacks the stars have doled out to fans in an effort to put such rumors to rest.
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Lil Kim
When Lil Kim snapped this picture with Kim Kardashian, her followers had a lot to say about it. So much so that Kim had to explain herself, which she rarely does when it comes to her changing looks.
“The Lil Kim hate is a different type of hate … I lightened up the picture because I like when the makeup pops a little more and you can see the beauty of the makeup that @tasha_mack_mua did,” she said. “Kim wanted the picture to look a little darker, because that’s the way she liked it.”
Kim Kardashian shared the much darker image, which showed that Kim hadn’t lightened her skin, just the picture.
“Either way both pictures are completely gorgeous and are a matter of expression of preference of photography,” Lil Kim said. “IG is a way for people to express themselves and have fun through pictures and videos! And I love photography, on that note moving right along.”
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Meagan Good
Actress Meagan Good took to Instagram to set the record straight on bleaching rumors about her with a lengthy note. She did so in the hopes of clearing things up for her young followers so they know that bleaching is not the way to go.
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K. Michelle
In 2013, the singer responded calmly to bleaching rumors by saying, “Only a FOOL would believe I would bleach my skin. The only thing i bleach is my wig tips. Have a seat!”
But earlier this year, she made it clear that she was tired of the questions about her skin. When someone tried to tell her she was beautiful and didn’t need to bleach, K. Michelle responded with, “Bi–h shut the f–k up talking to me. I’m so damn sick of you ignorant f–ks…You dum [sic] hoes sit online all f—ing day like some loser and become so delusional that you really think you know a person. You don’t know me! It’s so f—ing annoying. I have never f—ing bleached my skin and you dum hoes gone quit playing wit me.”
Nicki Minaj
The rapper, who has dealt with her fair share of rumors about her skin and body, said in an interview with Extra in 2013 that when it comes to her skin, and her nose, it’s all just makeup.
“People see my makeup and think all kind of crazy things like I’m doing something to my skin. No, its just makeup,” she said. “Look at Rupaul’s Drag Race and you’ll see how you can make your nose look any way you want it.”
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Tamar Braxton
In an interview with EBONY in 2013, Tamar Braxton tried to clear up the nonstop queries about her skin.
“Anybody with skin issues knows that that’s a very sensitive subject,” she said. “And that’s why I’ve never shared that I have Vitiligo, because I do. I’ve always had it, since I was a young girl. It’s not as bad as others because everybody has it differently, but I’ve certainly had mine diagnosed. That’s why I tan. People say, ‘You bleach your skin!’ But I tan just so I can have a better tone on my skin, boo!”
Source: Instagram
But when that still wasn’t good enough, she shared an image of her hands, discolored from the vitiligo, with the caption “Although I have NOTHING to prove….I have NOTHING to LIE about! #donetalkingaboutthebleachB.S.”
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Tami Roman
When the reality star posted a few pictures looking much brighter than usual in 2013, people had all kinds of harsh things to say about the possibility of her bleaching. She eventually took to Twitter to respond by acting as unbothered as possible and blaming the media for all of the confusion.
“I see the little bootleg bloggers jumped on a bullsh-t rumor for clicks LMAO,” she said. “GM world…dont believe the hype – stay blessed.”
Charlamagne Tha God
The Breakfast Club co-host and popular personality told Dr. Oz that he made a serious effort to take better care of his health, including his skin after years of doing the exact opposite. He started seeing a doctor and decided to take their tips to heart. That’s why his skin cleared and brightened up.
“I had hyper-pigmentation and I had like skin discoloration,” he said. “It was something I never even thought about correcting. But then when I went to go see her, she started teaching me about dieting and how the skin problem was something you had to fix from the inside-out.”
“I don’t understand why you wouldn’t love the skin you’re in,” he added. “For me, I love the skin I’m in. I just want my skin to be healthier. I don’t want to be another complexion.”
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Azealia Banks
Azealia Banks might just be the first woman in the public eye hit with skin bleaching rumors to actually come out and emphatically say they’re true. “My personal opinion about skin lightening. I consider anything that has to do with removing layers of skin or pigment, I consider it all bleaching,” she said in a Facebook livestream earlier this year. “I say lightening.”
“To say that [skin bleaching] negates what I’ve been saying about blackness in America is ignorant and just stupid,” she added. “Nobody was upset when I was [wearing] 30-inch weaves, tearing out my edges, and doing all types of sh-t like that. You guys loved it, but what is the difference?”
Images via WENN and Instagram
