Update!

Zendaya Says She Was Refused Service Because of Her "Skin Tone"

Disney Channel star claims a Vons sales clerk threw her wallet

By Zach Johnson Sep 07, 2016 7:05 PMTags

UPDATE: Vons released a statement to E! News Wednesday afternoon: "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. Moreover, 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."

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Zendaya isn't one to suffer in silence.

After grocery shopping with a friend Tuesday afternoon, the 20-year-old K.C. Undercover star shared a Snapchat story in which she detailed their disappointing encounter with a sales clerk. "So we just got out of this Vons. Now, I am trying to buy a lot of gift cards. Now, there's some certain, specific things you have to do when it comes to buying gift cards," Zendaya said. "There are certain limits and some things, which is understandable. OK, cool. So I'll take a less amount, whatever. But the lady that was helping us—I don't think she was a fan of our skin tone."

"Not at all," Zendaya's friend chimed in. "She was rude."

"Extremely," the actress said in agreement.

"In fact, I recall her not trying to help us at all, saying that we couldn't buy the gift cards, and then throwing my wallet. You can't make this s--t up. I just can't make this s--t up! You know? This is what we deal with!" Zendaya said, adding that the sales clerk gave her a nasty look as if to convey the message, "You can't afford this." But, according to the Disney star, "It was $400!"

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"Long story short," Zendaya said, "there is so much progress to be done in our world." Still, the sales clerk's demeanor shocked her. "My cards were loose. So, like, my card fell on the scanner, and she was about to keep scanning the next person. I was like, 'That's my card! What are you doing?'" she shared. "You know what? It's all love. Maybe she'll go on to have a wonderful life."

Later, after she had returned home, Zendaya gave a "shout-out" to the store's manager "for coming out and helping" after her experience with the sales clerk. "Got my gift cards!" she said.

(Originally published on Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2016, 5:30 a.m. PDT.)