People are divided over the new Zendaya wax figure unveiled at Madame Tussauds: ‘Who is this imposter?’

‘How does it look exactly like her and nothing like her at the same time’

Chelsea Ritschel
New York
Thursday 10 February 2022 21:44 GMT
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Zendaya waxwork revealed at Madame Tussauds following Euphoria success

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Zendaya fans are expressing their disappointment on behalf of the actor after Madame Tussauds London unveiled the star’s new wax figure.

This week, the legendary wax museum shared photos of its latest celebrity addition on social media, where the Euphoria star could be seen recreated in wax. For the figurine’s outfit inspiration, Madame Tussauds turned to the bright pink Christian Siriano suit the actor wore on the red carpet at the Humane Society of the United States’ To The Rescue Gala in 2016.

In addition to the magenta pantsuit, the wax museum also incorporated the hairstyle Zendaya chose for the event, with the wax version of the star seen wearing its hair in a side-part bun.

While the outfit is nearly identical to Zendaya’s, many fans weren’t impressed with the wax version of the actor, with some sharing their criticism of the creation - and its chosen outfit - on Twitter.

“Zendaya is so beautiful and it’s a damn shame her wax figure looks like she’s had a long day at the office and she *does not* like the service she received when she went to pick up her take-out, and now she wants to speak to everyone’s manager,” one person tweeted.

Another said: “This is Zendaya if she was a Kardashian.”

“We gotta stop making wax figures,” someone else added, while others suggested the wax figure resembled a “flight attendant”.

Others were bothered by the outfit that Madame Tussauds chose for the wax figure, as many Zendaya fans noted that the actor is known for her fashion-forward style, and has worn a number of memorable red carpet looks in recent years.

“Out of all Zendaya’s looks they picked this one…” one person tweeted, while someone else wrote: “Now y’all know Zendaya dresses better than this.”

Not everyone was critical of the Zendaya wax figure, however, as many claimed that the wax interpretation of the Spider-Man star was spot-on.

According to one person, the criticism isn’t warranted as it would have been impossible to “emulate” the actor’s beauty in a wax figure.

“Why are people so pressed about the Zendaya wax figure, she’s one of the most beautiful people ever they’re not gonna be able to emulate that in a wax figure hahahah they did their best,” they wrote.

Another said: “That wax figure looks almost exactly like Zendaya idk what y’all are talking about.”

“Zendaya looks exactly like that... the outfit choices can be debated but that is her face,” someone else claimed.

Others also pointed out that the wax figure, which is open to the public on Friday, could have turned out much worse. This is not the first time that the museum’s wax renditions of stars have been met with backlash, as fans were previously disappointed by the wax versions of Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj.

In a statement to NBC News, Tim Waters, general manager at Madame Tussauds London, said: “Zendaya just exudes cool. Not only that, she uses her celebrity status to join conversations, thoughtfully, on important social issues. She is unapologetically herself - and we, along with her fans, love that about her.”

The Independent has contacted Madame Tussauds London.

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