Zendaya has shared a lot of personal stories over the years, but one memory from her fifth-grade days still sticks with her. The actress revealed that both of her parents once showed up at her school and gave her a serious dressing down.
At first, she thought they had mistaken her for someone else because she had not bullied anyone. The real reason behind that unforgettable moment, however, taught her a lesson she says she will one day pass on to her own children.
Why Zendaya’s Parents Called Her Out Even Though She Was Not The Bully
Zendaya recently revisited one of the biggest lessons she learned as a child. She explained that the incident happened when she was in fifth grade and one of her classmates was being bullied.
Her father, who worked at the same school, eventually found out about the situation. Zendaya remembered seeing him suddenly appear outside her classroom, which instantly made her nervous. She recalled, “I remember a girl got bullied in my class when I was in fifth grade, and I remember being around when it happened, but I didn’t, I wasn’t the one who was doing it.”
She went on to add, “I just remember seeing it happen. And somehow my parents found out my dad worked at my school. Oh, really? Yes. I see my dad’s head poke into my fifth-grade class. He said, and I was like, oh man, all right.”
Things became even more surprising when she walked out and found both of her parents waiting for her. Since she had not bullied anyone herself, Zendaya could not understand why she was in trouble.
She said, “So I get in there, and then my mom’s there too, and I’m like, why is my mom and my dad here to talk to me? And I got cussed out. Really? And the reason why, I was like, I didn’t even say anything. I didn’t even do it.” That was when Zendaya’s parents explained what they believed was the real problem.
Why Zendaya Wants To Pass This Lesson On To Her Own Kids
Zendaya’s parents told her that staying silent while someone else was being bullied was never the right thing to do. In their eyes, watching from the sidelines without speaking up still meant failing someone who needed support.
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Zendaya shared exactly what they told her: “And they’re like, that’s the point. That’s the point. You didn’t say anything. You don’t see somebody, you know, get bullied and just sit there and be a bystander. That’s not what you do. That’s not what we do.” Hearing those words completely changed the way she looked at the situation.
Zendaya admitted that her parents’ tough love worked. Even though getting scolded was not fun, she says the experience made sure she never forgot the lesson. She wrapped up the story by saying, “And I got my, I got cussed out. And I said, okay, well, I’ll never do that again.”
Now, the actress calls it one of her favorite childhood stories because of what it taught her. It was never really about getting into trouble. It was about learning that staying silent can sometimes hurt just as much as saying the wrong thing. That is exactly why Zendaya hopes to teach the same value to her own children one day.
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