Giuliana Rancic and Barack Obama aren't two names you'd usually say in the same
sentence. But the former President helped re-establish the scandal-ridden TV host after
her 2015 Fashion Police controversy — and a big comeback soon followed.
As the co-host
of Fashion Police, Giuliana Rancic's job entailed poking fun at celebrities. By 2015,
she'd earned a reputation for her cutting words. So, upon seeing Zendaya's beautiful
dreadlocks on the 2015 post-Oscars episode of the show, Rancic provided her typically
catty take. Everything would've been fine if she just focused on Zendaya's dress,
like her co-hosts. However, Rancic's attention was on Zendaya's hair. Rancic commented:
"This hair to me overwhelms her. Like I feel like she, she smells like patchouli oil. Or weed."
Chances are that Rancic didn't think much about the encounter or her comments until they were
all over social media. Needless to say, people weren't laughing. A lot of responses saw the
perpetuation of harmful stereotypes of Black women and weed instead of a biting take on Zendaya's
fashion. Thus, what started as a typical day, changed Guiliana Rancic's career forever.
Zendaya didn't
hear the comment on the red carpet, but eventually, Rancic's words confronted the
18-year-old. Needless to say, Zendaya wasn't amused. But instead of immediately reacting,
the young actor took a beat. This was a moment where Zendaya could use her celebrity status
to highlight an ongoing issue — not just in the media, but in the daily lives of her community.
So, she eventually took to Instagram to discuss the quote, "fine line between what
is funny and disrespectful." From there, Zendaya dissected the complex impact of Rancic's comment,
and how it affected the Black community. The actress concluded with a reminder
to all people of color that their locks are powerful and, quote, "good enough."
"I just wanted that young kid out there who maybe is getting teased about whatever
to know that they have a voice and they can stand up for themselves."
The post blew up. However, before big syndicates picked the story up,
Kelly Osbourne, one of Rancic's co-hosts on Fashion Police, was already commenting on
Twitter. She made it clear she wasn't the one who made the comment and contemplated leaving the show
altogether. Soon after Osbourne's tweet, Kathy Griffin, another co-host from Fashion Police,
left the show explicitly over Rancic's comment. Kelly Osbourne soon followed her.
Before her words spiraled to the
point of national coverage, Giuliana Rancic took to Twitter to get ahead of
them. She tried to explain the situation as a giant misunderstanding, tweeting,
"Dear Zendaya, 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!!!"
Rancic's knee-jerk response didn't go very well. People tweeted in response that it wasn't enough,
too late, or that it avoided accountability. Her tweet framed the encounter as Zendaya's
misunderstanding as opposed to addressing Rancic's own words. But the replies to her
apology and coverage in the mainstream media called Rancic out for not being
responsible for what she said — especially since she was a member of the press.
Before making another public comment on the matter, Rancic took some time to absorb
what others were saying. In a video posted to YouTube, Rancic finally got the matter right.
She expressed sincere apologies, acknowledging that outcomes matter more than intentions.
"I want to say, to Zendaya, and anyone else out there that I have hurt, that I am so,
so sincerely sorry."
While Rancic never intended for anyone to make the kind of connotations Zendaya pointed out,
they were genuine concerns. She admitted to her gaps in knowledge and her need to learn and grow.
In her apology, Guiliana Rancic said that
she needed to take time for growth and learning. So she did. After 13 years as a household name,
Rancic slowed down her career and stopped taking on new work. Instead of allowing the scandal
to set her back, Rancic used the time to pursue work that would soon become her passion project.
She'd spent years dedicating her time to a daily TV show's long hours, so leaving E! News opened
her schedule for more hands-on work with her businesses and family. Needless to say, Guiliana
Rancic used her new free time as an opportunity to focus on the passions that drove her.
When a brand gets wrapped up in a scandal, the best thing to do is acknowledge failure
and show the world meaningful change. Some rebranding happens swiftly,
while others go slowly to cultivate authenticity. For Giuliana Rancic, her practically fatal comment
required a slow rebuild. While the apology acknowledged the error, the death threats,
and other negative responses showed that the public wasn't ready to forgive her.
The time away, however, would prove quintessential to Rancic's comeback. Until then, her work focused
on media appearances and recognition. It was typically Rancic's words shaping her
brand. But now she could take a new form. She showed the world that there was so
much more to know about her than just a witty personality and a sharpness with words. While
Rancic's career in the entertainment industry was a list of success after
success, she also had a roster of other accomplishments that deserved her focus.
In 2011, Guiliana Rancic was diagnosed
with breast cancer. Shortly after her diagnosis, she invited the public to join her on her journey.
When she finally beat it and became a mother, Rancic decided to give back. She used her fame
and prestige to create the nonprofit, Fab-U-Wish — an organization dedicated to making fashion,
beauty, and celebrity wishes come true for cancer patients and survivors. Fab-U-Wish opened one
year before Rancic's fall, but she wouldn't let controversy deter her from the project.
While Rancic could've focused on racial-justice issues in reaction to the scandal, she stuck
to something where her past experience would help her understand the population
she sought to serve. Fab-U-Wish wasn't a vanity project either. She continued investing in it,
finding new ways to give back. Rancic also took advantage of her celebrity status and
fashion know-how to create significant revenue and stir up attention for the
nonprofit. One way she did this occurred in October 2022, when Rancic sold her most
iconic red carpet outfits on ThreadUp. All the proceeds from the sale went to Fab-U-Wish.
While charity helped
Guiliana Rancic revamp her career, not all her future successes would rely on philanthropy. She
was also a savvy businesswoman, ready to see her ventures continue to thrive. So, in 2012,
Giuliana Rancic and her husband, Bill Rancic, opened their first restaurant. The goal was to
create an authentic small Italian restaurant that served delicious food. Being Italian-American,
Rancic wanted to share the food from her home country in a small intimate setting. However,
things quickly changed when Lettuce Entertain You Enterprise joined the team.
The cozy Naples-inspired restaurant morphed into RPM Italian, a 10,000-square-foot contemporary
restaurant in a hip Chicago neighborhood. Their partnership with Lettuce Entertain You Enterprise
drummed up so much fanfare that Rancic and her husband eventually got a call from the
Secret Service. No, they weren't in trouble — the agency was just calling to inform the
Rancics that then-President Obama would be visiting their restaurant for dinner.
Needless to say, a presidential visit to your restaurant is always a good thing.
RPM Italian eventually grew to be so successful that the Rancics soon opened up a second
restaurant, called RPM Steak. Over the years, RPM Italian's popularity brought the restaurant to
Washington D.C., West Palm Beach, and the decadent eatery capital, Las Vegas. Altogether, the Rancics
opened six bustling restaurants, including RPM Seafood, the latest addition to the RPM line.
Giuliana Rancic was inspired to
help every hard-working mom enjoy a glass of wine… or two — so she created a wine brand called Xo,
G. The intention behind Xo, G was to allow moms — and everyone else — to enjoy just one glass of
wine without ruining the entire bottle. However, these clever bottles aren't bottles at all.
Instead, they're stacked glasses, each of which has a lid. So you can enjoy a single drink, or
however many glasses of wine you'd like, without stressing over when you'll finish the bottle.
"This is all you have to bring with you. The cups are there, the wine is there."
Just over a year after the Zendaya scandal, Rancic's wine received rave reviews. Then,
in 2020, Xo, G was covered by People and expanded to several vendors. From there,
Rancic launched several new products, including Giuliana Prosecco,
a home line called August & Leo — even a line of skincare products called Fountain of Truth.
Rancic made affordability a forefront of all the products she sold. To this day,
she takes customer feedback seriously, and works tirelessly to keep her brands accessible for all.
After a three-year hiatus,
Giuliana Rancic returned to co-host E! News in 2018. It was an exciting move in
her career and Rancic was thrilled to be back on the show. She told People:
"Returning to host 'E! News' is every bit as thrilling to me today as it was 16 years ago."
She also added that her E! News co-host, Jason Kennedy, was one of her best friends. That said,
it seemed as if Kennedy was just as excited about Rancic's return, telling her,
"I’ve been looking forward to this moment for a freaking long time. Welcome back, baby! G’s back!"
Sadly, the excitement would be short-lived.
Guiliana Ranci's dedication to her work cannot be denied. As one example,
she returned to work just days after breast cancer surgery. At the time,
it probably was the best move for her career. But with so many years in the business,
Rancic was ready for more flexibility in her work. When E! News announced its plans to move
to the East Coast in 2019, a year after she returned, Rancic decided not to join the team.
In making her decision, Rancic realized she wouldn't have time for her many business ventures,
and it was more than she was willing to give up. So by staying behind as E! News moved forward, she
made herself available for better opportunities. As a result, Guiliana Rancic made one of the
most significant moves anyone professional can make — she took complete control of her career.