"You all have been nasty, vile & dehumanizing when it comes to Serena Williams" - Fans defend icon from criticism over her looks at Paris Fashion Week

Serena Williams' fans jumped to her defense after her new "look" at the Paris Fashion Week became trending on social media for all the wrong reasons.

Williams was in attendance at the Off-White FW24 show, which was titled "Black by Popular Demand." The 23-time Grand Slam champion dazzled in a black outfit to suit the occasion, while she opted to go a darker shade of blonde in the hair department.

Unfortunately, her made-up look attracted attention from one sect of fans on social media, who were disappointed by the way she chose to present herself at the event.

"This is just sad," one fan wrote on Twitter (now X) along with a video of the American icon.

However, Serena Williams' fans were quick to come to her defense, calling out the haters for being too "dramatic" over some makeup.

"She’s wearing makeup…. My god ya’ll are so dramatic in this app," one fan wrote.

Another fan shot back saying women had the right to do what they wanted to keep their looks, instead of listening to what men had to say about it.

"She look great! idk want y’all talking about. she dyed her hair maybe got some lip filler and makeup. women can do what they want to keep w their looks. please keep that same energy w men," another said.

Another fan recalled how Serena Williams has been bodyshamed relentlessly for years, with many passing "disrespectful" and "dehumanising" comments about her Black features. Most famously, Williams was the subject of a controversial caricature after her clash against Naomi Osaka at the 2018 US Open, one that was considered widely racist and sexist by many in the press community.

Considering all that, the fan believed the former World No. 1 has earned the right to do whatever she wanted that made her feel pretty, regardless of what others thought of it.

"Y’all bullied this woman relentlessly for YEARS on end. I fully support anything she’s done to make herself feel pretty whether the public likes it or not. You all have been the most nasty, vile, disrespectful, and dehumanizing mfs when it comes to her & her black features," a fan chimed in.

Here are a few more reactions from fans:

"It was hard for me, people would say I was born a guy, all because of my arms" - Serena Williams on dealing with bodyshaming

In a 2018 interview with Harper's Bazaar, Serena Williams admitted that it was "hard" for her to see people bodyshaming her because of her athletic features, just because she was built different.

"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 American emphasized that she has gotten over her body image issues with time, and that she was happy with who she was and what she looked like.

"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."