Giuliana Rancic has taken her apology to Zendaya one step further.
On Tuesday night, the “Fashion Police” panelist delivered a public apology on E! News, one day after saying Zendaya’s Oscar-night dreadlocks made her look like she smells “like patchouli oil” or even “weed.”
I want to apologize for a comment that I made on last night’s ‘Fashion Police’ about Zendaya’s hair. As you know ‘Fashion Police’ is a show that pokes fun at celebrities in good spirit. I understand that something I said last night did cross the line. I just want everyone to know I didn’t intend to hurt anybody. But I’ve learned that it is not my intent that matters, it’s the result. And the result is people are offended, including Zendaya, and that is not OK. Therefore, I want to say to Zendaya and anyone else out there that I have hurt, that I am so, so sincerely sorry. This really has been a learning experience for me. I have learned a lot today. And this incident has taught me to be a lot more aware of clichés and stereotypes, how much damage they can do and that I am responsible, as we all are, to not perpetuate them further.
After much of Twitter and the blogosphere erupted on Monday night, calling the comments racist, Rancic, 40, tweeted a short apology.
Late Monday, Zendaya herself let loose a lengthy note slamming Rancic for her comments.
“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,” explained the former Disney star.
Following Rancic’s on-air apology, Zendaya penned a gracious response, writing on Instagram: “Giuliana, I appreciate your apology and I’m glad it was a learning experience for you and for the network.”
She also noted that it’s important to remember “that just because someone has inflicted hurt upon us, it does not give us the right to do the same … As hard as it was to stop MYSELF from being ignorant and from posting the first mean words that came to my mind because I was hurt, I had to think about the bigger picture.”
Rancic’s “Fashion Police” co-panelist Kelly Osbourne got really upset by the tiff. She strongly denied chiming in during the inflammatory segment, since one of Rancic’s co-hosts, who was not seen on camera at the time, did make a comment about Zendaya smelling like “weed.”
On Tuesday, 30-year-old Osbourne demanded that her name be cleared within 24 hours “or the world will hear how I really feel.”
She also threatened to quit the show.