Zendaya defends Oscars dreadlocks after 'outrageously offensive' remark

KABC logo
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
(AP)
KABC-KABC

As many actors and filmmakers were battling for awards on Oscar Sunday, Zendaya was having her own feud with Fashion Police's Giuliana Rancic.

On Fashion Police's Academy Awards special, host Giuliana Rancic described the singer and star of Disney's "K.C. Undercover's" dreadlocks on the red carpet as if the singer "smells like patchouli oil." "Or weed," Kelly Osbourne added, to which Rancic agreed "maybe weed."

Rancic's comment sparked a firestorm on Twitter, with many claiming the host's remarks were racially insensitive.

Others, however, criticized Rancic after she had previously praised Kardashian sister Kylie Jenner on her dreadlocks.

Zendaya then wrote a passionate statement on Twitter on how she was "hit with ignorant slurs and pure disrespect," and that "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."

Rancic and Osbourne then replied to Zandaya in their own tweets.