Zendaya Slams Julie Klausner for Body-Shaming Comments After Kids' Choice Awards
"You don't have to have an eating disorder to attend the Kids' Choice Awards....but it helps!"
The Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards typically aren't a hotbed of controversy — especially when it comes to debating the representation of female bodies in the media.
But Zendaya's win on Saturday night sparked a heated Twitter exchange between the singer-actress and comedian Julie Klausner.
After winning favorite female TV star- kids show at the 2016 Kids' Choice Awards, Zendaya ended her acceptance speech with, "To all the parents out there, thank you for allowing me to be a role model for your children. I really, really do not take that for granted."
Klausner, creator and star of the TV show Difficult People and author of I Don't Care About Your Band, added an addendum to Zendaya's speech on Twitter: "And thinspo model for your impressionable tweens."
She continued to criticize Zendaya's appearance on Twitter, implying the singer-actress had an "eating disorder" and referencing Zendaya's 2015 feud with Giuliana Rancic over the former's Oscars appearance.
Zendaya's ultimate retort to Giuliana Rancic is starving herself down to the size of one of her elbowz
— Julie Klausner (@julieklausner) March 13, 2016
You don't have to have an eating disorder to attend the Kids' Choice Awards....but it helps!
— Julie Klausner (@julieklausner) March 13, 2016
Zendaya wasted no time defending herself, criticizing Klausner for body shaming and asking if she wants to "be next," presumably in reference to Rancic (it's widely acknowledged that Rancic's public image, not to mention E!'s Fashion Police, suffered in the wake of her joke at Zendaya's expense).
Do you find this funny? I will write another paragraph to educate you as well #youreallywannabenext? https://t.co/z6dXOJ3Tai
— Zendaya (@Zendaya) March 13, 2016
Now....everyone go look in the mirror at their beautiful body, and love that shit-- #thickgirlswinning #skinnygirlswinning #weallwinning
— Zendaya (@Zendaya) March 13, 2016
Following the retort, Klausner didn't quite apologize — she promised to "never stop criticizing celebs who perpetuate dangerous beauty standards" and help the "generation of girls who aspire to look like Zendaya" — but she did offer an olive branch of sorts to the onslaught of Zendaya fans attacking her on Twitter.
I will never stop criticizing celebs who perpetuate dangerous beauty standards for a generation of girls who grow up thinking they're fat.
— Julie Klausner (@julieklausner) March 13, 2016
I'm concerned with the generation of girls who aspire to look like Zendaya. I do not worry about Zendaya's health or care whether she eats.
— Julie Klausner (@julieklausner) March 13, 2016
Let's not fight. Here is my olive branch to Zendaya fans — can we just all agree that 1) all women are beautiful and 2) Zendaya hates Jews?
— Julie Klausner (@julieklausner) March 13, 2016
Billboard reached out to reps for Zendaya and Klausner for further comment.
This article originally appeared on Billboard.com.
