Zendaya Coleman Responds to Giuliana Rancic’s Apology and Shares A Message About Body Shaming -- Read Statement

Earlier this week, "Fashion Police" co-host Giuliana Rancic was criticized for making "racist" and offensive comments about Zendaya Coleman's hair at the 2015 Oscars. While discussing red carpet fashion, during Monday's episode of E!'s "Fashion Police," Rancic said that Zendaya's dreadlocks smelled like "patchouli oil... or maybe weed."

The 18-year-old Disney darling took to Instagram to share a lengthy post explaining why the Rancic's comments were beyond hurtful and inappropriate. After tweeting an apology to the actress via Twitter, the 40-year-old television personality made a more heartfelt apology during a brief E! News segment on Tuesday - and Zendaya accepted.

Along with accepting Rancic's apology, the "K.C. Undercover" star took to Instagram again to share her thoughts on the controversial topic and also shared a few powerful words about body shaming.

"Studies have shown that even though we try to act without prejudice, sometimes it's just hidden inside us due to our past or surrounding. That hidden prejudice is often influential in our actions. It's our job to spot these issues within others and ourselves and destroy them before they become hurtful. I have so many people looking up to me, that I couldn't be scared, wait it out, nor could I just stand up for me; I had to do it for WE. It is in important in this journey, to remember that just because someone has inflicted hurt upon us, it does not give us the right to do the same," Coleman wrote.

"Body shaming and other hurtful tactics will never get the job done," she continued. "As hard as it was to stop MYSELF from being ignorant and from posting the first mean words that came to my mind because I was hurt, I had to think about the bigger picture. Instead, I sat for two hours on my phone, doing my research and formulating an educated response."

The actress then directly addressed Rancic by saying she appreciated the apology and referring to the incident as a "learning experience" for Rancic and the network.

"I hope that others negatively affected by her words can also find it in their hearts to accept her apology as well," Coleman wrote. "From a quote we all know by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., 'Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.' Let's be that light and spread that love."