Side-Eye: Store Responds to Zendaya's Claims She Was Racially Profiled
Clean up on aisle three.
The grocery store accused by Zendaya of racially profiling the actress and her friend is offering the Spider-Man star an apology — and an excuse — after a clerk refused to sell her $400 in gift cards.
On Wednesday, Zendaya reported on Snapchat that the store clerk wouldn't process her transaction for the gift cards and instead threw her wallet back at her. "The lady that was helping us... I don't think she was a huge fan of our skin tone," she told her followers. "This is what we deal with..." Zendaya said, before her male friend added, "Because we're Black."
Now, a spokesperson for Vons, the store in question, released a statement on the matter: "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."
The statement continues, "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."
Sadly, this isn't the first time Zendaya was targeted by racist trolls and haters. But she seems to be getting great at shutting them down. See how she handled a body-shaming comedian on BET Breaks, above.