Zendaya reflects on Giuliana Rancic’s ‘offensive’ remarks about her 2015 Oscar dreadlocks

Zendaya reflected on Giuliana Rancic’s ‘scandalously offensive’ comments about her dreadlocks at the 2015 Oscars.

Then, at just 18, the actress was seen wearing a new hairstyle as she climbed the red carpet at the prestigious event, which led Rancic to note that her braids looked like “they smelled like patchouli or weed oil”.

And now actress Zendaya, 24, is looking back on both the controversy and the positive change surrounding the comments, which occurred months before Rancic, 46, left her role on E! News.

Amid the furor, Mattel created a Barbie doll inspired by Zendaya, which wore a replica of her ivory dress worn at the Oscars – as well as the same hairstyle.

“This is how change happens,” she told W magazine in a new interview. ‘And it got me thinking, how could I ever have a lasting impact on what people saw and associated with people of color?’

In 2015, Zendaya addressed Rancic’s controversial comments, saying in a statement: ‘There is a fine line between what is funny and disrespectful.

‘Someone said something about my hair at the Oscars that amazed me. Not because I liked enthusiastic criticism about clothes, but because I was struck by ignorant slander and sheer disrespect. ‘

She added: ‘Saying that an 18-year-old girl with locs should smell like patchouli oil or’ grass’ is not just a big stereotype, but outrageously offensive.

‘I don’t normally feel the need to respond to negative things, but certain observations cannot go unchecked.

Rancic later apologized, tweeting, ‘I’m sorry to have offended you and other people. I was referring to a chic bohemian look. It had NOTHING to do with race and it would NEVER have !!! ‘

While Zendaya said she appreciated Rancic’s apology for saying that her dreadlocks should have smelled like ‘weed’ and ‘patchouli oil’, she criticized the nature of Fashion Police.

‘Shaming the body and other harmful tactics will never do the job,’ Zendaya said in a statement, adding that he was ‘happy’ that it was a learning experience for Rancic and E! Network.

Zendaya added in his statement: ‘Giuliana, I thank you for your apologies and I am happy that it was a learning experience for you and the network. I hope that others who are negatively affected by your words will also have the courage to accept your apologies. ‘

She continued: ‘From a quote we all know from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “Darkness cannot cast out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot cast out; only love can do that.” We will be that light and spread that love. ‘

Zendaya also revealed that she had initially planned to respond to Rancic’s comments in an angry manner, before thinking about it.

“Instead, I sat on the phone for two hours, doing my research and formulating an polite response,” she said.

Immediately after Rancic’s comments, Fashion Police co-host Kelly Osbourne sensationally left E! Show.

Giuliana made a statement on the air about her comments, saying: ‘I would very much like to talk about something that is weighing heavily on my heart. I want to apologize for a comment I made last night at Fashion Police about Zendaya’s hair.

“As you know, Fashion Police is a show that makes fun of celebrities with a good spirit, but I realize that something I said last night crossed the line.”

‘I just want everyone to know that I didn’t mean to hurt anyone, but I found out that it’s not my intention that matters,’ Rancic continued. ‘It’s the result. And the result is that people are offended, including Zendaya. And that is not right. ‘

“So I want to say to Zendaya, and to anyone else who has hurt, that I feel very sincerely,” she concluded. ‘This was really a learning experience for me.

“I learned a lot today and that incident taught me to be much more aware of clichés and stereotypes and how much damage they can do. And that I am responsible, like all of us, for not perpetuating them even more. Thanks for listening. ‘