Kelly Osbourne
"Fashion Police" star Kelly Osbourne (pictured) said Zendaya Coleman is her friend, opting out of the backlash from Giulana Rancic's dreadlock comment. Reuters

E! “Fashion Police” co-host Kelly Osbourne does not want to get involved. That's what she tweeted after the 2015 Oscars when Giuliana Rancic set off a Twitter firestorm with a comment about Zendaya Coleman’s dreadlocks. Many, including former Disney star Zendaya, found Rancic’s comments offensive, and some dragged the lavender-haired fashionista into the fracas.

Rancic said during a post-Oscars edition of "Fashion Police" Monday that Zendaya's dreadlocks reminded her of patchouli oil and marijuana.

Zendaya promptly took to social media to put everyone in their place. She was hurt by the comment, which she labeled stereotypical, and issued an eloquent retort. “There is a fine line between what is funny and disrespectful,” she said. “To say that an 18-year-old young woman with [dreadlocks] must smell of patchouli oil or 'weed' is not only a large stereotype but outrageously offensive.” She then listed successful celebrities who have dreadlocks and do not “smell of marijuana.”

“There is already harsh criticism of African-American hair in society without the help of ignorant people who choose to judge others based on the curl of their hair. My wearing my hair in [dreadlocks] on an Oscar red carpet was to showcase them in a positive light, to remind people of color that our hair is good enough,” she said.

Rancic, 40, didn't ignore Zendaya’s response. She apologized and also tried to explain. “I was referring to a bohemian chic look,” she said.

Some noted the flaw in Rancic’s argument, considering she didn’t have a problem when “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” star Kylie Jenner temporarily had her hair in dreadlocks and the “Fashion Police” host raved about them.

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