14 DAY TRIAL // E!’s Fashion Police was never meant to be a show that handles celebrities with kid gloves: in theory, it’s all about the fashion, and one’s reputation, notoriety or career achievements mean nothing. If someone wears a bad outfit, he or she gets called out on it, and mercilessly so.
The other day, while discussing the designs on the red carpet at the Oscars 2015, Giuliana Rancic crossed the line between objective / mean and plain wrong, when discussing former Disney Channel star Zandaya Coleman and her choice to rock dreadlocks for the biggest night in the film industry.
As you can see in the Vine below, she said Zendaya’s overall look made her think it “smell[ed] like patchouli oil… or maybe weed.” Viewers were quick to react, taking to Twitter to voice their outrage that she could be so insensitive and telling her that she must issue an apology STAT.
Until she got the chance to do that, Zendaya also addressed the controversy on her Twitter, in the form of an open letter explaining why she wanted to wear dreadlocks on the red carpet and how she was not defined by her hair, as wasn’t any other woman.
It wasn’t until Zendaya’s response went viral that Giuliana finally said something about her initial comment: apparently, the patchouli or weed smell reference was about her “bohemian chic” look and not the color of her skin. It’s not exactly an apology, but it’s as close as we’re probably going to get.
pic.twitter.com/q0fOYrv3gc
— Zendaya (@Zendaya) February 24, 2015
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!!!
— Giuliana Rancic (@GiulianaRancic) February 24, 2015