"Black men always participate in revisionist history" - Fans push back against claim that Serena Williams' history of being called 'ugly' is a 'lie'

Tennis fans have pushed back against the claim that Serena Williams has never been called "ugly" by Black men. Many of them cited numerous instances where the American faced derogatory comments about her appearance.

Williams' looks have frequently been a topic of discussion in the media and tennis community throughout her career and beyond, with the former World No. 1 often having to endure derogatory attacks on her appearance.

This issue surfaced recently when fans came to the 42-year-old's defense after her look for Paris Fashion Week was severely criticized.

Despite enduring countless disparaging remarks about her appearance over the years, a user recently asserted that the claim that Black men called the 23-time Grand Slam champion "ugly" was a baseless "lie."

"That lie that we used to call Serena Williams ugly came out of thin air. I never in my life heard a n**ga say that," the user posted.

Screengrab of X (formerly Twitter) user @jiggyjayy2's post

The user faced significant pushback for his claim, as many fans recounted their vivid memories of Serena Williams being labeled a "man" due to her appearance.

"Genuinely… how old is this person?? Because it really happened," one fan commented.

"I was you young asf and I remember. Her and Ciara. Called them men, transgender etc," another fan chimed in.

"Like I remember them always calling her a man and stuff," said another.

Several fans also argued that Black men are taking part in "revisionist history" and "collective gaslighting" to downplay their previous criticisms of the American.

"BM always participate in revisionist history, they pretend they never bully dark skinned women on here daily," one fan posted.

"It’s them attempting rewrite history for me," another fan wrote.

"The collective gaslighting is so...," said yet another.

One fan even compiled a series of screenshots showing numerous instances of Black men on social media calling Serena Williams ugly.

"These must be aliens," the fan posted.

---

"People would say I was born a guy ... I was different to Venus Williams, she was thin and tall" - Serena Williams on dealing with bodyshaming

Venus Williams (left) and Serena Williams

In an interview with Harper's Bazaar in 2018, Serena Williams opened up about the body-shaming she endured over her athletic physique, admitting that it was "hard" for her to deal with.

The American recounted instances of being likened to a man due to her "strong and muscular" body, as it was a sharp contrast to her sister Venus Williams' "thin and tall" build.

"It was hard for me," Serena Williams said. "People would say I was born a guy, all because of my arms, or because I'm strong. I was different to Venus: she was thin and tall and beautiful, and I am strong and muscular — and beautiful, but, you know, it was just totally different."

However, the 23-time Grand Slam champion shared that she eventually embraced her body, accepting her muscular biceps as a "weapon" instead of a flaw.

"This is me, and this is my weapon and machine..." Williams said, referring to her biceps. "Now I'm happy with who I am and what I am and what I look like."