Heavy DWTS alum Zendaya's crew denies an alleged incident at an Italian restaurant.
A former “Dancing with the Stars” contestant and her team clapped back after a report alleged a bit of drama took place at an international restaurant recently. Zendaya, who competed on season 16 of “DWTS” with Val Chmerkovskiy, has been working in Italy for the past few weeks. While updates coming from the multi-faceted entertainer have been full of smiles, one media outlet claimed things did not go quite so well when she tried to visit a local restaurant. However, both Zendaya and her rep insist the incident was fabricated.
Here’s what you need to know:
Zendaya Initially Planned to Dine at Terrazza Borromini
EXCLUSIVE: Zendaya is rejected entry to upscale restaurant in because of her outfit
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Not long after surprising thrilled fans with a stage performance at Coachella in April, Zendaya flew to Italy for Bulgari’s Mediterranea High Jewelry event. According to E! News, Zendaya stayed in Italy and attended another Bulgari event on June 8 with their Hotel Roma opening. It was while in Rome for the hotel event that Zendaya was allegedly turned away from a local restaurant.
The Daily Mail reported that Zendaya arrived at Terrazza Borromini to dine. While she had reservations, the outlet detailed, they reported that she was turned away due to what she and others in her party were wearing. According to the Rooftop Guide, the Italian restaurant’s dress code is “smart casual,” and the Daily Mail indicated Zendaya was wearing cargo pants and a black tube top. The outlet suggested that Zendaya looked “unimpressed” after interacting with staff at the eatery and leaving. Since the alleged incident, several sources have shared a different version of events.
Zendaya’s Team & the Restaurant Share Their Side
After the supposed incident, Zendaya’s representative, Scott Newman, told Page Six the allegation was “completely false.” While the former “Dancing with the Stars” contestant had arrived at Terrazza Borromini to dine, her rep detailed, the group realized they had eaten there during an earlier trip and they “left and went to another place.”
E! Online’s report on the situation added that Zendaya seemed to clap back at the allegation via an Instagram Story. She posted an illustration that included someone asking for a “source,” with a response of “I made it up.” The outlet added that her assistant, Darnell Appling, shared via an Instagram Story the allegation was a “bald head lie. We never got denied anywhere. We walked into the building [and] realized we ate there before when we seen the stairs. The same stairs Zendaya slipped on last year and posted about.” Appling added that the group had wanted to try a new restaurant, so once they realized they had been to Terrazza Borromini before, they chose someplace else. “We actually never went upstairs and interacted with anyone. We talked amongst ourselves in the downstairs lobby. This whole story is a lie,” Appling added.
The restaurant posted a statement of its own on its website. “Terrazza Borromini, a renowned restaurant in Rome, Italy, would like to clarify recent rumors regarding the visit of the esteemed actress Zendaya,” the statement began. “Contrary to the gossip circulating in the media, we did not deny entry to Zendaya due to her attire.” Andrea Federici, the restaurant’s owner, detailed that while they “pride ourselves on our elegant ambiance and high standards,” they also respect the varied styles of their customers. “We were delighted to welcome Zendaya and her party to our restaurant, and any suggestion to the contrary is simply not true,” Federici continued.