For many, Beyoncé is arguably the greatest artist alive.
But with that grandiose title comes a lot of criticism and hate. It’s something Mrs. Carter has probably learned to look past, but that doesn’t stop disparaging comments from coming her way. Her loyal fanbase known as the Beyhive is always ready to defend or shut down any rumor or salacious claim about the singer at any given moment.
The most recent debate amongst Bey’s fans and critics is over the Houston native’s fair skin tone.
Pictures have surfaced recently of her in her younger years where arguments ensued about whether she’s been skin bleaching as some say she’s been looking lighter than usual in these past few years. These accusations really increased when she released her “Renaissance” album in 2022. During that time, she continued to rock a blond wig, which made her skin look lighter.
Last November, the singer, with deep ties to Creole culture, created a series of iconic looks inspired by Pamela Anderson in the music video for Bey’s “Cowboy Carter” song, “Bodyguard.” She can be seen rocking a layered blond wig reminiscent of Anderson’s hairstyle on “Baywatch,” paired with a bathing suit featuring the show’s name.
In response, a snippet was shared on X on May 18 with the caption “I’m starting to understand why white people think Beyoncé is guilty of cultural appropriation.”
Someone else responded, “I think the opposite. My conspiracy theory is that Beyonce is white and has been pretending to be black all this time. She has always looked white with a darker skin tone that was probably makeup.”
Another X discussion started when fans uploaded pictures of a young Beyoncé in her 1993-1994 class at St. James School. In the photo, the “Diva” can be seen smiling brightly alongside her classmates, which included seventh and eighth graders.
Fans mocked allegations that the “Brown Skin Girl” singer had been bleaching in the comments.
One person sarcastically said, “But I thought Beyoncé was dark skinned and that she was bleaching herself?!? Your sterile and stupid debates of complexes there.”
Another who had the same sentiment wrote, “But I thought Beyoncé was dark skinned before the bleach…”
The Beyhive aren’t the only ones who will go to bat for Beyoncé. Her mother Tina Knowles will too, and in November 2023, she hit back at the critics that had something to say about her daughter’s appearance.
Mama Tina shared a video on Instagram which started with a photo of Beyoncé wearing platinum blond hair and a silver dress at the premiere of the Renaissance World Tour concert film. Judgmental statements about her skin popped up on the screen.
One read, “Why she looks so white?” Another said, “She’s not a black woman?” A third out of the several other sentences said, “She whitens her skin.” More photos of Queen Bey followed with the words “Brown Skin Girl” written across them.
Knowles also came to her daughter’s defense with a lengthy caption under the post.
She started, “Came across this today and decided to post it after seeing all of the stupid ignorant self, hating racist statements about her, lightening her skin, and wearing platinum hair wanting to be white. She does a film, called the renaissance, where the whole theme is silver with silver hair, a silver carpet, and suggested silver attire and you bozos decide that she’s trying to be a white woman and is bleaching her skin?”
Knowles claimed a white journalist from TMZ tried to contact Beyoncé’s hairstylist, Neal Farinah, to get a statement about the skin tone accusations, which the protective mom said made her “blood boil.” She added that other Black celebrity women who have worn platinum in the past and asked fans “Are they all trying to be white?”
“Every time she does something that she works her a– off for and is a statement of her work ethic, talent and resilience. Here you sad little haters come out the woodwork,” Knowles added. “I am sick of you losers. I know that she is going to be pissed at me for doing this, but I am fed up! This girl minds her own business. She helps people whenever she can. She lifts up & promotes black women and underdogs at all times.”
While all the haters’ chatter seems to rile up her fans and her mom, Beyoncé remains mostly silent, only subtly addressing the criticism throughout her music and performances. In her song, “Formation,” she sings “Y’all haters corny with that Illuminati mess” and “Always stay gracious, best revenge is your paper. “
Beyoncé currently is on tour performing shows themed by her country-inspired “Cowboy Carter” album, where she takes the stage with her elder daughter, Blue Ivy, 13, and her younger daughter Rumi, 7.
