10 Celebs Who Have Been Accused of Lightening Their Skin

Lil' Kim and more stars given side-eye in recent years.

Light and Bright? - Lil' Kim shut down the internet when she posted selfies looking very unlike herself this past weekend. But she isn’t the only celeb who has been accused of lightening their skin over the years. Maybe it’s just filters or lighting? We investigate. By Kellee Terrell (Photo: Lil Kim via Instagram)

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Light and Bright? - Lil' Kim shut down the internet when she posted selfies looking very unlike herself this past weekend. But she isn’t the only celeb who has been accused of lightening their skin over the years. Maybe it’s just filters or lighting? We investigate. By Kellee Terrell (Photo: Lil Kim via Instagram)

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Lil' Kim - The '90s rapper was the epitome of Black beauty, but her skin tone has appeared so pale in recent years that it's hard to tell her apart from a white woman with blonde hair. Girl, what's going on?  (Photos from left: Robert Mora/Getty Images, Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Yeezy Season 3)

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Lil' Kim - The '90s rapper was the epitome of Black beauty, but her skin tone has appeared so pale in recent years that it's hard to tell her apart from a white woman with blonde hair. Girl, what's going on?  (Photos from left: Robert Mora/Getty Images, Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Yeezy Season 3)

Tamar Braxton - Reality star and soul singer Tamar Braxton has been accused of skin lightening for years, which she has denied. Instead, she admitted to having vitiligo, the same melanin-depleting skin condition that model Winnie Harlow and Michael Jackson have. (Photos from Left: Jason Merritt/Getty Images For BET, Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

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Tamar Braxton - Reality star and soul singer Tamar Braxton has been accused of skin lightening for years, which she has denied. Instead, she admitted to having vitiligo, the same melanin-depleting skin condition that model Winnie Harlow and Michael Jackson have. (Photos from Left: Jason Merritt/Getty Images For BET, Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

Beyoncé - Looking at the Lemonade diva's album covers, there does appear to be some Photoshopping when it comes to skin tone. But up close, what do you think? Is she getting lighter or is it just in some people's imaginations?(Photos from Left: Kevin Winter/Getty Images, Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images)

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Beyoncé - Looking at the Lemonade diva's album covers, there does appear to be some Photoshopping when it comes to skin tone. But up close, what do you think? Is she getting lighter or is it just in some people's heads? (Photos from Left: Kevin Winter/Getty Images, Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images)

Sammy Sosa - The baseball icon definitely looks like a different person in these two pictures. When pressed about his lighter skin, he told the Associated Press in 2010 that he wasn't trying to "be white," but that his new look was due to a creme he used every night. Uh, OK...(Photos from Left: Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images, Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

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Sammy Sosa - The baseball icon definitely looks like a different person in these two pictures. When pressed about his lighter skin, he told the Associated Press in 2010 that he wasn't trying to "be white," but that his new look was due to a creme he used every night. Uh, OK...(Photos from Left: Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images, Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

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Nicki Minaj - The "Feeling Myself" rapper embodies girl power and confidence, but some out there believe that she looks a few shades lighter now than she did when she first broke out onto the scene in 2010. (Photos from Left: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images, Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

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Nicki Minaj - The "Feeling Myself" rapper embodies girl power and confidence, but some out there believe that she looks a few shades lighter now than she did when she first broke out onto the scene in 2010. (Photos from Left: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images, Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

Blac Chyna - The former exotic dancer and model, and mother of Rob Kardashian's only child, has also made folks wonder about if she has been dabbling in the light and bright creme. She denied the claims in a 2014 interview, chalking any lightness up to the flash on a photog's camera.(Photos from Left:  Denise Truscello/WireImage, Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

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Blac Chyna - The former exotic dancer and model, not to mention Rob Kardashian's fiancée, has also made folks wonder about if she has been dabbling in the light and bright creme. She denied the claims in a 2014 interview, chalking any lightness up to the flash on a photog's camera.

Rihanna - Our favorite bad gal has always been beautiful to us, but some folks swear up and down that Rihanna is lighter now than she was when she first got in the game. British singer Mica Paris memorably came for RiRi in an op-ed penned last year. Maybe it's the lack of Caribbean sun? (Photos from Left: Rob Verhorst/Redferns, Christopher Polk/Getty Images for WESTBURY ROAD ENTERTAINMENT LLC)

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Rihanna - Our favorite bad gal has always been beautiful to us, but some folks swear up and down that Rihanna is lighter now than she was when she first got in the game. British singer Mica Paris memorably came for RiRi in an op-ed penned last year. Maybe it's the lack of Caribbean sun? (Photos from Left: Rob Verhorst/Redferns, Christopher Polk/Getty Images for WESTBURY ROAD ENTERTAINMENT LLC)

 Dawn Richard - It's hard to deny that the former Dantity Kane singer's complexion can look a little paler depending on the light she's in. Maybe it's just really good contouring?(Photos from Left: Jamie McCarthy/WireImage, Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

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Dawn Richard - It's hard to deny that the former Dantity Kane singer's complexion can look a little paler depending on the light she's in. Maybe it's just really good contouring (Photos from Left: Jamie McCarthy/WireImage, Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

Photo By Photos from Left: Jamie McCarthy/WireImage

Ciara - The "I Bet" singer was always the epitome of Brown Goddess, but some are speculating that she's lost the richness in recent years. Perhaps her blonde locks are giving that illusion? They're known for adding a face-brightening effect.(Photos from Left: Scott Gries/Getty Images, Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

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Ciara - The "I Bet" singer was always the epitome of Brown Goddess, but some are speculating that she's lost the richness in recent years. Perhaps her blonde locks are giving that illusion? They're known for adding a face-brightening effect. (Photos from Left: Scott Gries/Getty Images, Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)