Earlier this week, Zendaya hit the headlines when she repurposed one of her iconic red carpet dresses while promoting her and Robert Pattinson’s new A24 movie, The Drama.
In case you missed it, Zendaya and Rob play a “happily engaged couple” who are “put to the test when an unexpected turn sends their wedding week off the rails” in the film, with much of the publicity around it leaning into the wedding theme.
For example, back in December, the stars featured in an engagement notice that was placed in the Boston Globe newspaper, and at the Los Angeles premiere on Tuesday, Zendaya showed up in the stunning, bridal white Vivienne Westwood gown that she wore to the 2015 Oscars.
Explaining her decision to rewear the dress, Zendaya told Variety: “I was brainstorming with Law [Roach] about how I would theme-dress for this film, and I kind of remembered the saying, ‘Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.’ So, this is my ‘something old.’”
“I thought I’d bring it back and give it a new life,” she added. “It meant so much to me, this dress. It was such an important moment for myself, my community, for my loved ones… It felt right. And it also happens to be a wedding dress! So, that works.”
This time around, Zendaya teamed the dress with a sleek, short hairstyle. However, when she first wore it 11 years ago, she opted to wear her hair in locs — and people are now remembering the racially-charged discourse that followed.
If you need reminding, Giuliana Rancic sparked fierce backlash when she said that Zendaya’s hair made her look like she “smells like patchouli oil” or “weed” during an episode of Fashion Police.
At the time, then-18-year-old Zendaya responded with a powerful statement that was widely lauded online. She wrote: “There is a fine line between what is funny and disrespectful. Someone said something about my hair at the Oscars that left me in awe. Not because I was relishing in rave outfit reviews, but because I was hit with ignorant slurs and pure disrespect.”
She added that Giuliana’s comments were “a large stereotype” and “outrageously offensive.” The star then 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.”
You can read her full statement below:
Zendaya’s comments were reposted to a pop culture Reddit forum in light of her wearing the dress again, and many shared their admiration for the gracious way that she handled the situation as a teen — as well as their disappointment and horror at Giuliana making this remark in the first place. One person wrote: “even now, i’m impressed by how elegantly she responded to such mean and petty remarks. it’s besides the point, but she looked so beautiful that night, too. literally a princess.”
“Zendaya has always been very good at handling this sort of shit. The poise she has displayed at such a young age that even older, more experienced celebrities fail to emulate,” somebody else added. Another popular comment reads: “It’s amazing what being respectful can do for your career. Zendaya gave such a poised statement, yet I haven’t heard about Guilana in ages.”
If you missed it, the rising star looked sensational in a lilac Louis Vuitton dress, and had her hair in intricate boho braids. During a red carpet broadcast, a journalist said of Chase’s look: “Let’s think about this awesome almost like undone hair with the done dress. Actually, it’s mirroring the ruffles on the dress, that beautiful hair.”
While the correspondent was ultimately complimenting Chase’s look, their choice of words did not sit well with people watching at home, especially as it dismissed the amount of work that goes into wearing braids. Responding to Zendaya’s resurfaced statement, one redditor wrote: “10 years and still an E reporter had the audacity to comment on Chase Infinit‘s hair.”
“Atleast it came from a place of good intentions,” somebody else argued. “Unlike the Zendaya one which was fully intended to be racist and offensive.”
As always, let me know your thoughts in the comments below!