Zendaya is not just a great actor, she’s also a fashion icon. The Disney star often makes gorgeous appearances at red-carpet events and steals the show with her breathtakingly beautiful wardrobe. While the star is known for staying calm on camera at big events, there was a time when she slammed a TV reporter for commenting on her hair.
Zendaya Slams Fashion Police Host’s Ignorant Comment about her hair
Back in 2015, an 18-year-old Zendaya made her first appearance at a major celebrity event, the Oscars. The Euphoria actress made an alluring entry that stole the show as she walked the carpet in a white off-the-shoulder Vivienne Westwood gown, accessorized with a diamond bracelet and drop earrings. To top it all off, she wore her hair in dreadlocks, which infamously sparked offensive criticism from former “Fashion Police” co-host Giuliana Rancic.
Rancic took the shot at Zendaya during E!’s Fashion Police show snipping
“I feel like she smells like patchouli oil. Or weed. Maybe weed?”
Zendaya responded by skewering Rancic in a lengthy statement on social media, calling her comments “offensive” and “ignorant slurs.”
Zendaya wrote,
“To say that an 18-year-old young woman with locs must smell of patchouli oil or ‘weed’ is not only a large stereotype but outrageously offensive.”
She then went on to list several prominent figures, including “Selma” director Ava DuVernay and “Waiting to Exhale” author Terry McMillan, who have worn dreadlocks — “None of which smell of marijuana.
She wrote,
“There is already harsh criticism of African American hair in society without the help of ignorant people who choose to judge others based on the curl of their hair. My wearing my hair in locs on an Oscar red carpet was to showcase them in a positive light, to remind people of color that our hair is good enough.”
Giuliana Rancic apologizes for her comments
Following the Disney star’s response, she received a lot of praise from fans for defending herself.
One user commented on her post saying,
“PAUSE. I need white ppl to not talk about Black hair that they obviously don’t understand . @Zendaya is flawless. Chill #FashionPolice.”
Rancic later apologized on Twitter, saying her comments had nothing to do with Zendaya’s race.
Dear @Zendaya, I'm sorry I offended you and others. I was referring to a bohemian chic look. Had NOTHING to do with race and NEVER would!!!
— Giuliana Rancic (@GiulianaRancic) February 24, 2015
The TV host wrote,
“Dear @Zendaya, I’m sorry I offended you and others. I was referring to a bohemian chic look. Had NOTHING to do with race and NEVER would!!!”
Zendaya recalled her feud with Rancic several years later
After the incident, Zendaya made her first television appearance and opened up to ET about the famous incident. The former child star said at the time,
“I wanted this to be a positive experience, for people to learn from it, people to grow from it. “And that’s all that I hope is their show is able to learn and grow and hopefully, positive, be more positive.”
In 2021, she recalled the famous incident which grabbed everyone’s attention. The ‘Euphoria‘ star opened up about her feud with the former Fashion Police co-host in a cover story for W Magazine.
The 26-year-old star talked about the controversy surrounding her hair and her response to it and decided to speak up back then. Zendaya said in the interview,
“That’s how change happens and it made me think, ‘How could I always have a lasting impact on what people saw and associated with people of color?’”
What are your thoughts on Zendaya? Did she do the right thing by speaking out against Rancic’s comments? Let us know in the comments. Also, don’t forget to follow hiptoro for more celebrity gossip and news.
Source: W Magazine
