Store says RACISM had nothing to do with Zendaya’s weird experience
Over the weekend former Disney star Zendaya used Snapchat to inform her followers of an alleged racist run-in she’d had with a checkout worker.
In the snaps the 20-year-old Californian accused a member of Vons staff of subjecting her and a male friend to racial profiling as they attempted to purchase a $400 gift card at the store.
The young actress claimed the woman who was serving her went as far as to suggest that the pair could not afford the desired item because of their skin tone before proceeding to throw Zendaya’s wallet back at her.
But now the grocery store at the centre of the allegations has responded to the Spiderman: Homecoming star’s claims by telling PEOPLE the whole thing was a big misunderstanding.
A company rep said: “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,” they continued.
“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.”
Zendaya has yet to respond to the store's statement.
