Sammy Sosa 'Doesn't Have Time' For Negativity Surrounding Lighter Skin

Sammy Sosa does whatever he wants, and if he wants to use skin softening cream that happens to lighten his complexion, that's what he's going to do.

The former MLB slugger, who regularly comes under fire for allegedly bleaching his skin, addressed the controversy surrounding his new complexion during an interview with Sports Illustrated, released Wednesday.

Speaking with SI at the luxurious, 56-floor Burj Al Arab Jumeirah hotel, located in the United Arab Emirates's Dubai, Sosa said this about the many people commenting on his appearance on social media: "Look at what I am today. This is my life, and I don't take garbage from nobody. I do whatever I want."

The Dominican Republic native said he barely notices the negative remarks, and confusion surrounding his life and complexion, adding that he isn't on social media. "I never watch Facebook, Instagram, some of that B.S. s**t," he said. "I don't have time for that."

Sosa's son, Sammy Sosa Jr., supported his dad's sentiments. "It doesn't affect him, but I'm sure he feels a certain way," he told SI. "Like, 'Man I gave so many years and so much hard work for you guys, and now you want to undermine all that because of some decisions I'm making—some personal decisions that don't affect you at all?'"

Fans first started to question the former Chicago Cubs player's seemingly different skin tone back in 2009. At the time, Sosa dismissed rumors he was unhappy with his race and told Univision's Primer Impacto that his skin became lighter as a result of a cream he was using to soften it.

"What happened was that I had been using the cream for a long time, and that, combined with the bright TV lights, made my face look whiter than it really is," he said.

He added, "I'm not a racist. I live my life happily."