She’s currently one of the most sought-after stars in Hollywood.
However, that hasn’t shielded her from harsh criticism.
Despite her achievements, Zendaya recently had to address cruel online remarks after trolls targeted her parents in a family picture.
Having grossed over $3.9 billion globally
Born in Oakland, California, Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman started her journey as a child model and backup dancer before gaining fame as Rocky Blue on the Disney Channel sitcom Shake It Up.
At 28, Zendaya is at the pinnacle of her career, with significant projects on the horizon such as The Odyssey, Dune: Part Three, and The Drama. Her films as a lead actress have earned more than $3.9 billion worldwide.
In addition to acting, she has established a thriving career in music and modeling, and has even been recognized as one of the most beautiful women in the world according to a Golden Ratio study.
Yet, despite all her success, she has not been spared from online negativity.
In 2015, the former Disney Channel star posted a selfie with her parents, Claire Stoermer and Kazembe Ajamu Coleman. Her father is African American with Nigerian heritage, while her mother, Claire, has German and Scottish roots.
Both of them are former public school teachers, and Zendaya frequently acknowledges her parents for keeping her grounded.
In a previous conversation with Ellen DeGeneres, Zendaya expressed:
“I have to give credit to my parents. I feel incredibly fortunate to have the parents I do. They have always instilled in me those fundamental values that I believe I must carry with me in everything I do.”
However, this heartwarming family moment took a turn for the worse when trolls inundated the comments with hurtful comments about her parents’ looks.
One individual commented: “Her parents are really ugly; I would honestly cry,” while another remarked: “They produced a stunning child, lol.”
Zendaya chose not to remain silent.
Instead, she responded powerfully:
“First, I’m going to pray for you. While you’re so focused on my parents’ appearance, please understand that these are two of the most selfless individuals in the world.”
She went on to defend their character and life’s mission:
“They have dedicated their entire lives, not worrying about superficial matters like looks or insulting others’ parents on Twitter, but rather have become educators committed to teaching, nurturing, and enriching young, impressionable minds.
Encouraging kindness, she added:
“So please, log out, go to school, hug a teacher and read a textbook… and while you’re at it, go look in the mirror and know that you too are beautiful, because such hateful things only stem from internal struggles. Bless you.”
She signed off the message from herself and her “beautiful family.”
This wasn’t the first time Zendaya confronted criticism directly. In 2020, she also spoke out after deciding not to participate in a planned biopic about Aaliyah, clarifying that the online backlash had no influence on her choice.
“The reason why I chose not to do the Aaliyah movie had nothing to do with the haters, or people telling me that I ‘couldn’t do it,’ or ‘wasn’t talented enough’ or I wasn’t ‘Black enough,’” she stated.
