Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman is one of the most influential people in the world.
The two-time Primetime Emmy winner began her career working as a fashion model for Macy's and Old Navy. In November 2009, she auditioned for the role in Disney sitcom Shake It Up. It premiered on November 7, 2010, and was watched by 6.2 million viewers, becoming Disney Channel's second highest-rated premiere in Disney Channel's 27-year history.
In 2011, Zendaya was cast as the lead in a Disney Channel series K.C. Undercover, where she plays high school math genius K.C. Cooper. The young teen is recruited by her parents after she discovers that they are undercover spies. In 2019, Zendaya began starring in the HBO drama series Euphoria, as Rue, a 17-year-old drug addict. The actress has received widespread critical acclaim for her portrayal.
The now 26-year-old credits her close relationship with her parents - Claire Stoermer and Kazembe Ajamu Coleman - for her success. Even though the star is worth an estimated net worth of $15 million she chose to live with them way longer than she needed to...
Zendaya's Parents Divorced In 2016
Zendaya has a close-knit relationship with both of her parents, but is notoriously private about her personal life.
Claire and Kazembe didn't marry until 2008 when Zendaya was 12 years old. However, Claire filed for divorce just eight years later in 2016. However, following reports that her parents had split Zendaya posted a photo with her mom and dad, writing, "My parents ain't been together for a long time, y'all didn't know cause we private+they still homies #lateassnews."
Growing up Zendaya looked up to her teacher parents, Claire Stoermer and Kazembe Ajamu Coleman, and developed a thirst for knowledge. "Growing up, I watched my mom teach in the heart of Oakland, California, at inner-city schools that were always underfunded. My mom went above and beyond, working constantly to open her students' eyes to an education that could lift them far beyond their current circumstances," the actress told Teen Vogue.
"She would introduce them to the arts, guide them through the language of Shakespeare, and show them the wonders of nature outside city life — all things that they wouldn't have experienced otherwise," she continued.
Zendaya also noted that if she wasn't an actress, she'd be "a teacher in a heartbeat — guaranteed!"
Zendaya Has Five Older Half-Siblings
Though Zendaya is the only child of Claire and Kazembe, she has five older stepsiblings from her father's previous marriage. She has three older sisters, Katianna, Annabella and Kaylee, and two older brothers, Austin and Julien.
"I look up to my big sister and realize the influence she's had on me and making me a better person," Zendaya told Time in a 2015 interview. "Having such a big, grounded family, I realized as you get older how important that is." She also revealed to Complex that she's an aunt as well.
"Honestly, I think about my little nieces and my little nephews first," she told the outlet in 2015. "Because one day they're going to have Twitter and they're going to have Instagram, and I'm going to be like, 'This is how you handle it, kids.'"
Zendaya Lived At Home Until She Was 20
In a 2016 interview on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, a then 20-year-old Zendaya opened up about living at home with her mom and dad - joking that she saved her on rent and rides. “For me, there are a lot more upsides than there are downsides. Because me and my parents, we set boundaries, we have territories. Once I hit 18, I was like, ‘Guys, I just need you to give me a little space so I can be grown a little bit.’ They respect my space, I respect their space."
A year later, Zendaya purchased her own $1.4 million home in Los Angeles (around the same time her mom filed for divorce from her father). The home has five bedrooms, five bathrooms, a swimming pool and spa.
