Giuliana Rancic possibly just made one of the most controversial comments during an episode of Fashion Police following the conclusion of the 87th Academy Awards, otherwise known as the Oscars, as online and offline debates regarding the alleged racist comments were sparked earlier this week, according to ET Online.
As per the usual practice, Fashion Police panelists, which include Rancic, Kelly Osbourne, Brad Goreski, as well as host Kathy Griffin, who took over the spot of the late Joan Rivers, discussed the outfits worn by the stars during the said awards night.
The typical remarks were provided by those in the show, which ranged from raves on certain ensembles to snide comments on some poor choices of the celebrities. However, one of Rancic's remarks hit too close to home especially to the members of the African community as the panelist mocked the locs of Zendaya Coleman.
Rancic made fun of the 18-year-old's hair by saying, "I feel that she smells like patchouli oil or weed." Predictably, this comment outraged netizens and even some celebrities. However, Zendaya's response to the remark made everyone back down to applaud the teenager's firm grasp of her roots.
"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," Zendaya shared in her Instagram account following the comment made about her appearance.
"I don't usually feel the need to respond to negative things but certain remarks cannot go unchecked," the actress further remarked.
To better illustrate the significance of her locs, Zendaya pointed out that the same hairstyle is worn by her father, brother, and younger cousins. She also noted that some of the most remarkable personalities recognized today, such as Ava DuVernay, Ledisi, Terry McMillan, and Vincent Brown, all have one thing in common: their locs.
She then continued to draw attention to the fact that none of the people she mentioned has hair that smelled of 'weed,' evidently referring to the comment of the host.
"My wearing my hair in locs on an Oscar red carpet was to showcase them in a positive light, to remind people of color that our hair is good enough. To me locs are a symbol of strength and beauty, almost like a lion's mane," Zendaya elucidated, also acknowledging the "harsh criticism" faced by African-American hair in the world today. She noted that those who choose to wear this hairstyle already suffer enough, and no longer need judge the help of others who take delight in humiliating or judging them "based on the curl of their hair."
The uproar caused by the issue later on pushed the host to immediately offer an apology over her remarks. "I'm sorry I offended you and others. I was referring to a bohemian chic look. Had NOTHING to do with race and NEVER would!!!" posted Rancic in her Twitter account.
