Zendaya Says a Grocery Store Clerk Refused to Help Her Because of Her "Skin Tone"

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published 7 September 16

Zendaya has never hesitated to speak out against injustice, so it's no surprise that when she recently experienced discrimination firsthand, she took to Snapchat to sound off.

According to E! Online, Zendaya and a friend were trying to buy some gift cards at a Vons grocery store this week when the situation got very uncomfortable, very quickly. Zendaya explains in a series of Snapchat videos:

Zendaya's friend confirmed her account of the events and agreed that the cashier was "rude."

In the end, a manager helped Zendaya complete the purchase of her $400 worth of gift cards. And Zendaya used the negative experience to talk about the discrimination people of color still face in 2016.

"Long story short, there is so much progress to be done in our world," she said. She ended her story on a positive note, rising above the negativity—per usual. "You know what? It's all love. Maybe she'll go on to have a wonderful life."

Watch Zendaya's entire Snapchat account of the events below:

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Kayleigh Roberts

Kayleigh Roberts is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, covering celebrity and entertainment news, from actual royals like Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle to Hollywood royalty, like Katie Holmes and Chrissy Teigen. She’s a Ravenclaw who would do great things in Slytherin. To learn more about her, google “Leslie Knope eating salad GIF.