Six years later, Zendaya is looking back on Giuliana Rancic’s infamous comments about her dreadlocks.
After the 2015 Oscars, the E! “Fashion Police” co-host sparked widespread criticism for saying the star’s hair made her look “like she smells like patchouli oil” or “weed.”
Zendaya, 24, opened up about the moment during an interview with W magazine, reflecting on the impact of those inflammatory comments.
“That’s how change happens,” the “Euphoria” star said. “And it made me think, How could I always have a lasting impact on what people saw and associated with people of color?”
At the time, the former Disney star addressed the “disrespectful” comments with a lengthy tweet.
“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 wrote, adding that she selected the hairstyle for the Oscars “to remind people of color that our hair is good enough.”
Rancic, 46, apologized with her own tweet, later following up with a lengthier on-air apology.
Zendaya then responded on Instagram, writing: “Giuliana, I appreciate your apology and I’m glad it was a learning experience for you and for the network … I have so many people looking up to me, that I couldn’t be scared, wait it out, nor could I just stand up for me; I had to do it for WE.”
While Zendaya generated Oscar buzz again this year for her Netflix film “Malcolm & Marie,” the project didn’t end up among the Academy’s nominees for 2021.
It seems the red carpet will be rolled out once again for this year’s Oscars, with show producers banning the “casual dress” seen at Zoom-based awards shows this year.