Zendaya Claims She Was Refused Service at a Store Because of Her ‘Skin Tone’
Zendaya has alleged she was the victim of racism at a grocery store. On Tuesday, the Disney darling took to Snapchat after she says a clerk at a Vons supermarket allegedly refused to serve her and threw her wallet back at her when she tried to buy $400 in gift cards. “The lady that was helping us… I don’t think she was a huge fan of our skin tone,” the Spider-Man: Homecoming actress told fans on the social media platform.
The 20-year-old claims the clerk seemed to think she couldn’t afford the gift cards and then tossed her wallet, causing her cards to fall out. “I can’t make this s*** up!” she said on camera. “This is what we deal with,” she added, before her male friend said, “Because we’re black.”
In another snap, Zendaya said, “Long story short, there’s so much progress to be done in our world.” She concluded her Snapchat story by giving props to a manager who was able to help her purchase the gift cards. Representatives for the grocery store chain had not commented at the time this article was published. Update: The chain issued a statement to People later in the evening. “At Vons, we strive to treat each and every customer with the utmost respect. There is a policy that limits gift card purchases using a credit card. Zendaya was able to purchase gift cards up to our limit, and we apologize for any inconvenience or misunderstanding. We respect Zendaya’s voice in the community and similarly are committed to diversity and inclusion,” the statement continued. “Moreover, we understand that race is a sensitive issue in America and view this experience as a reminder that every interaction is an opportunity to treat each customer as we ourselves would like to be treated.”
Check out the video to hear the actress recount her ordeal, and tune in to The Insider With Yahoo on TV tonight for the latest in entertainment news.
