Zendaya Revisits E! Host Saying She "Smells Like Patchouli Oil Or Weed"

BY Erika Marie 11.0K Views
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Zendaya, Locs, Dreadlocs, E!, Fashion Police, Giuliana Rancic
In 2015, Giuliana Rancic commented on Zendaya's red carpet locs while hosting "Fashion Police" & was fired

It was the pop culture moment heard around the world back in 2015 during an episode of E!'s Fashion Police when host Giuliana Rancic made a comment about Zendaya's hair on the Academy Awards red carpet. The then-18-year-old actress decided to wear her hair in locs to celebrate diversity on the red carpet, but Rancic remarked that Zendaya looks as if "she smells like patchouli oil or weed." Zendaya and her Malcolm and Marie co-star John david Washington recently posed for W Magazine's cover feature, and inside, the actress revisited the incident.

Soon after Rancic's remarks went viral, Mattel created a Barbie doll for Zendaya, sporting the same locs that were criticized. “That’s how change happens,” Zendaya shared with W. “And it made me think, How could I always have a lasting impact on what people saw and associated with people of color?”

It's a sentiment that echos Zendaya's initial response back in 2015 when she took to Instagram to say, "There is already a 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... 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. I don’t usually feel the need to respond to negative things but certain remarks cannot go unchecked.”

Jason Merritt/TERM / Staff / Getty Images

Rancic exited her Fashion Police position following the remarks but later spoke out about it, claiming that it was edited incorrectly. "You know, I made a reference to the hippie culture," Rancic told Today back in 2015. "I talked about patchouli oil, which is a hippie perfume. And in the editing process, some of the gestures I made, some of the things I said were taken out for time. I made peace signs, I said 'bohemian' twice — those were taken out for time. So when the joke aired, some people were offended by it."

Rancic was later rehired by E!. Check out photos from Zendaya and John David Malcolm's cover feature with W Magazine below.

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About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.