Home Celebrities Let’s Get To Know Zendaya’s Biggest Supporters – Her Parents

Let’s Get To Know Zendaya’s Biggest Supporters – Her Parents

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Let’s Get To Know Zendaya’s Biggest Supporters – Her Parents

Many would say that Zendaya’s biggest fan and supporter is her boyfriend, Tom Holland, but he has yet to take the top spot from her parents, who have been there for her and with her since 1996. 

Zendaya’s mom, Claire Stoermer, and her dad, Kazembe Ajamu Coleman, have been there throughout her career, especially her big achievements like winning an Emmy, the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, for her performance in Euphoria. They’ve never missed any special moment, big or small, to celebrate and cheer her on. 

RELATED: Euphoria Cast Expresses Discomfort with the Series’ Pervasive Nudity

For example, Stoermer penned a sweet birthday message for the actress in 2021, expressing how much she wished she could be with her on her day but that she understood a busy woman’s life. She then continued, saying she would always be with her and loved her very much.  

Even though they’ve been very open about their support and Zendaya has a publicly tight relationship with them, they’ve kept a very private life. In 2016, there were reports that Zendaya’s parents had split after eight years of marriage. 

However, Zendaya posted a family picture with a caption revealing that her parents had actually been separated for a long time. It’s just that no one knew about it because they kept it private. Plus, they remained friends or, as Zendaya called it, “homies.” So, there’s that too.

Though they’re quite elusive, Zendaya has dropped bits of information about them from time to time in interviews. Here’s everything we’ve scooped up about them. 

Claire Stoermer

Zendaya has always admired her mom, Claire Stoermer, as a role model. 

In an interview with Teen Vogue, she shared that she had grown up watching her teach at inner-city schools in Oakland, California. Unfortunately, these schools were always underfunded, but her mom was dedicated to her students and always went above and beyond for them. 

According to the actress, Stoermer would work constantly to provide an education that “could lift them far beyond their current circumstances.” That included introducing them to the arts, guiding them through Shakespeare’s language, and showing them the beauty outside the busy city life. 

That was why she didn’t only respect her mom but also gained an extra appreciation for education. In fact, she noted that she would’ve been a teacher in a heartbeat if she hadn’t become an actress. Guaranteed!

Aside from working as a teacher, Stoermer also worked at the California Shakespeare Theatre at night because she was, first and foremost, dedicated to her daughter, who was then a young, aspiring actor. Her two jobs allowed Zendaya to pursue all the opportunities of auditioning. She earned the money while her ex-husband drove their daughter to and from LA. 

Their efforts definitely paid off, seeing Zendaya now as one of her generation’s most successful actresses and celebrities. She went from being a Disney kid to landing major roles like Peter Parker’s MJ in “Spiderman,” Anne Wheeler in “The Greatest Showman,” Chani in “Dune,” and, of course, Rue Bennett in Euphoria

Despite all her success, Zendaya remained humble and grounded, and she credited her parents’ upbringing for that. Speaking with Ellen DeGeneres, she said she was really lucky to have her parents who have instilled core values in her that she would carry with her through everything. She said, “I give it up to them. I give it up to my family.”

Another core value she learned from her parents, specifically her mom, was embracing herself. That is, Stoermer has always been a big advocate of natural beauty. 

She didn’t wear makeup, and Zendaya saw how empowering it was that she didn’t care. However, they still do glam sometimes; they enjoy the whole process whenever they do. 

Outside of being a teacher, she’s also an entrepreneur. She has her very own line of jewelry business called Kizzmet Jewelry, which specializes in custom-made necklaces using different crystals like amethyst, quartz, hematites, chrysocollas, and more. 

Zendaya even promoted her mom’s business on Twitter, saying, “So my mom’s a dope ass jewelry designer/maker and also slays my line.”

For the most part, Stoermer kept herself on the sidelines, quietly supporting her daughter and letting her bejeweled. However, in December 2022, she went to the forefront of Zendaya’s defense after rumors spread that Zendaya and her boyfriend, Tom Holland, might be engaged. 

She took to Instagram to share her thoughts about these rumors mill. In her Story, she shared the definition of clickbait, which is 

the “practice of writing sensationalized or misleading headlines in order to attract clicks on a piece of content.” It relies on exaggeration and purposefully leaves out key information to increase viewer traffic. 

It just goes to show that Stoermer will always be Zendaya’s biggest fan and strongest advocate. 

Kazembe Ajamu Coleman

Zendaya’s father, Kazembe Ajamu Coleman, is also a teacher by profession. That’s why it was no surprise that school was always taken seriously in their household. Chatting with Us Weekly back in 2014, she shared that she failed some spelling tests in 2nd grade and got into a lot of trouble for that. 

Though he might be a strict dad, he has always supported whatever she wanted to do. In fact, her dad resigned from teaching to accompany her and drive her back and forth through auditions. While her mom, on the other hand, stayed in Oakland and ensured that she and her dad had enough money for their car trips. 

Now that she’s a successful artist, her dad has been officially promoted as her manager (along with Jessie Greene). He was also her bodyguard. The actress shared with PEOPLE during the 2016 Essence’s Black Women in Hollywood Luncheon that his dad is very protective of her. 

He would vet any guy who even dared to look at her. “If I decide to have my dad around to make sure dad vets them out and makes sure they are cool, they better go through dad first!” she said. It looks like Tom Holland definitely passed that test. 

That said, her dad’s protectiveness over her is understandable since she’s an only child. Although, she is not his only child, as he has five older kids from his previous marriage. 

So, Zendaya has three stepsisters named Katianna, Anabella, and Kaylee and two stepbrothers named Austin and Julien. According to the actress, in an interview with Time in 2015, she looked up to her big sister. She realized that the influence she had on her made her a better person. 

She also loved having a big, grounded family, especially as she got older. Of course, she loved her nieces and nephews. She said in her interview with Complex, “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.’”

That’s pretty much all the scoop we have on Zendaya’s parents. We hope you enjoyed and got what you wanted to learn about them. 

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