Culture

Zendaya Credits Her Great Relationship With Her Big Family For Her Success

You might know Zendaya Coleman from her role as Rockey Blue on the Disney show "Shake It Up," or her film breakthrough with "Spider-Man: Homecoming."

By Martina Vasquez2 min read
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Kathy Hutchins/Shutterstock

While other Disney stars have made headlines for their bad behavior, the 24-year-old’s large family keeps her grounded.

Zendaya Is Close with Her Mom and Dad

Starring in HBO’s new drama Euphoria, Zendaya credits her parents for giving her a strong moral foundation. She told Ellen Degeneres, “I’m really lucky to have the parents I have. They just have always instilled in me those core values that I think I have to carry with me through everything.”

Zendaya’s close relationship with her parents is why she lived at home until she was 19 years old. The actress explains, “For me, there are a lot more upsides than there are downsides. Me and my parents, I feel like we’ve set boundaries, we have territories. Once I hit 18, I was like, ‘Guys, you know I just need you to give me a little space.’”

Zendaya credits her mom, Claire Stoermer, for inspiring her self-confidence. She told Vanity Fair, “My beauty icons are the women in my life. My mom didn’t wear makeup; I don’t think she knew that, to me, it was empowering that she didn’t care.” Zendaya also supports her mom, who has her own jewelry line by flaunting her handmade pieces on Instagram.

My beauty icons are the women in my life.

Zendaya’s dad, Kazembe Ajamu Coleman, is her manager. The two have a very close relationship, and he’s also adorably protective of his daughter. When reporters asked about Zendaya’s relationship with Odell Beckham Jr., her dad responded, “What relationship? There’s no relationship. It’s like an audition. It’s an interview.”

Zendaya’s Brothers and Sisters

Zendaya comes from a big family of six kids. She has three sisters named Katianna, Kaylee, and Annabella, and two brothers named Austin and Julien. Along with her mom, Zendaya considers her older sister a hero. She sweetly wrote on Instagram, “She's always been perfect in my eyes, and I'm so blessed to have her, so to all those people who call ME their "role model" can thank HER.”

Zendaya’s Adorable Nieces

Zendaya is already an aunt and has the cutest relationship with her two nieces. Videos the actress posted on Instagram, dubbed “Auntie Daya Duties,” show her fixing her nieces’ hair.

Despite her young age, Zendaya says she sees herself as a role model for the younger members of her family. “Honestly, I think about my little nieces and my little nephews first. 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.’”

Despite her young age, Zendaya says she sees herself as a role model for the younger members of her family.

Closing Thoughts

“Having such a big, grounded family, I realized as you get older how important that is,” the Euphoria star said in 2015. In an industry that often lacks values, the Colemans are a shining example of a big, grounded family.