Actress, singer, producer, model, clothing designer. By the age of 23, Zendaya has managed
to become an iconic figure in the Hollywood industry. She has gone a long way from a shy
kid to a top influencer, and that road was full of challenges not many are aware of.
Today we share the true life story on Zendaya, with its ups and downs, childhood secrets
and love controversies.
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When you look at this powerful, strong-willed young woman now, it is hard to believe that
Zendaya used to be a painfully shy child. She barely spoke a word during her first year
in kindergarten. Her parents even attended seminars for the parents of timid kids.
The little girl didn't like being around people. She would just sit in the circle with peers
and be totally silent, her mother revealed. She eventually had to go to kindergarten TWICE
because of this issue.
According to People, even after becoming more confident later on, the girl faced a fair
share of bullying in school. She confessed, however, that it didn't bother her much and
credited her parents for teaching her to be comfortable with who she is.
"I was taught as a young child by my parents and family to love myself. And it’s the
same today – there are certain things that don’t bother me."
However, she learned something else in fifth grade - which is the power of action and inaction.
When one of her classmates was bullied, she didn't defend that kid. She regrets not doing
anything about it. She said:
"Knowing something is wrong and not doing anything is basically like doing it."
It looks like it was the starting point of Zendaya becoming an activist.
The actress is forever grateful to her parents and dad in particular for making her try performing
on stage in front of the whole school at the age of 8. As Zendaya confesses herself, (quote)
"it's history from there".
When she was just 13, the teen moved to Los Angeles together with her father who quit
his job as a teacher in order to help his child with career aspirations. Her mother
stayed in Oakland, miles away from Zendaya, doing two jobs to support the family and allow
her daughter pursue her dreams.
Some months later talented Zendaya was offered one of the leading roles in a Disney show.
But it was definitely very hard for the female teen to be far from her mom during such a
transitional phase of her life. She recalls:
"It was just me and my dad in an apartment in downtown L.A. It was very difficult because
I was dealing with all the pivotal girl moments. I remember getting my period and him not knowing
what to do."
It is worth noting that Zendaya has always praised her parents and appreciated them for
all their sacrifices and support. Unfortunately, some people can't abstain from being mean
in social media.
One of the Twitter users posted a photo of Zendaya's parents implying she is too pretty
to come from her parents, some more evil comments followed, and one of the users even called
them ugly.
Zendaya herself, who actually loves communicating with fans online, didn't waste any time stepping
in and shutting down the haters by writing the following:
“First, I’m gonna pray for you. While you’re so concerned about what my parents
look like, please know that these are two of the most selfless people in the world.
They have chosen to spend their entire life, not worried about trivial things such as looks
and insulting people’s parents on Twitter, but instead became educators who have dedicated
their lives to teaching, cultivating and filling young shallow minds.”
We consider it just a perfect response! Sadly, it's not only online haters, but also public
personalities who sometimes do not hesitate to make offensive jokes.
In 2015 host Giuliana Rancic commented on Zendaya's dreadlocks she wore on the Oscars
red carpet, saying that they make her look like she (quote) "smells like patchouli oil.
Or, weed."
It was one of those moments when the actress had to pull herself together again and speak
up. In response to the insult the 18-year-old wrote a very detailed explanatory post ending
it with the words : “I suggest some people should listen to
India Arie’s ‘I Am Not My Hair’ and contemplate a little before opening your mouth
so quickly to judge.”
Rancic sincerely apologized to the actress and vowed to use that situation as a learning
experience.
Another point of constant speculation in case with Zendaya is of course her private life.
Fans and media are obsessed with discussing who she might be dating, especially minding
the fact that she prefers to keep this information to herself.
As for her current relationship status, no one has actually been able to figure out if
the actress is dating her Euphoria co-star Jacob Elordi. The rumour started circulating
when the two were photographed together at the series premiere in 2019. The speculation
could have been dismissed except in August 2019, Zendaya and Elordi were seen vacationing
together in Greece in the background of a tourist's photo.
On one occasion Jacob was even caught gently kissing Zendaya. And even after that he kept
insisting she is like a sister to him. But look again! That doesn't resemble a kiss from
a sibling at all! In the meantime, the actress also introduced him as her (quote) "best friend".
Before Jacob, there was massive speculation about Zendaya's another co-star, Tom Holland.
Fans and media were carefully searching and finding signs of romance. Even despite the
fact that both denied they are dating, fans were sure they are having an incredible chemistry.
A source claimed: “They started seeing each other while they
were filming Spider-Man.They’ve been super careful to keep it private and out of the
public eye but they’ve gone on vacations with each other and try and spend as much
time as possible with one another.”
But then there appeared Elordi and together with him - waaay more proof to the alleged
romance.
As for now, amid the coronavirus shutdown for which Elordi travelled to his home Australia,
it is even harder to find any proof of their relationship. On the bright side… It is
hard to find evidence to the contrary, either.
In a recent development, the Spider-Man star revealed some really sensitive information
in the light of the Black Lives Matter movement that gained national attention following the
brutal killing of African-American George Floyd.
She spoke about the fears she had for her father in 2016 after two black men were shot
dead by police.
"I was extremely emotional, and I remember thinking about my dad, who was out picking
up food at the time. And I started worrying and calling him like, 'Are you OK?' I didn't
want him to go out and do anything."
Now, being one of the highest-ranking celebrities, she supports the African-American community
in her own creative way. The September issue of InStyle magazine will feature the multi-talented
Zendaya and multiple Black fashion designers on its cover. The actress and singer is eagerly
taking advantage of the spotlight to show off wardrobe stitched exclusively by Black
creators.
Speaking of the heights Zendaya has reached by her age… Did you know that despite the
coronavirus outbreak that affected even the industry moguls, the actress has managed to
increase her net worth by 10 million dollars just in 1 year? Zendaya’s work ethic is
so strong that she has even been working in quarantine. During the Los Angeles lockdown,
the 23-year-old filmed a secret movie written by Euphoria’s creator, Sam Levinson. They
say there were tons of logistics to work out for the project, since safety was the top
priority for everyone.
Zendaya admits that it was a different filming experience than she’s accustomed to. In
fact, at times it felt like another medium altogether. By the way, a teasing shot from
the coming movie shows an intimate moment of Zendaya gently leaning over her co-star
John David Washington.
Minding the past speculations, we won't be surprised to see headlines that the two are
dating. LOL, just kidding. Or not!
Today the 23-year-old who is fairly called one of the brightest stars of Generation Z
has over 76 million followers only on Instagram. She is actively using her massive reach to
campaign for change on various issues.
Zendaya cannot keep silent or indifferent to injustice. She confesses:
“There are so many things wrong,” she leans in, throwing up her arms in frustration,
“and I want to fix everything – it’s like, what do I do?”
Aged 16, she was working with nonprofit organization Convoy Of Hope. She celebrated her 18th birthday
with a campaign to raise money to feed starving children in Haiti. This is just to mention
a few notable things the young influence did. Now, at 23, she shows no signs of letting
up, calling out sexual and racial stereotypes and championing diversity.
That's all for today! We hope you liked our video about one
and only Zendaya!