Zendaya’s parents are Claire Stoermer and Kazembe Ajamu Coleman, two ex-teachers from Oakland who gave up almost everything for their girl’s Hollywood dream. Dad ditched the classroom to manage her. Mum worked two jobs. Two Emmys, a Golden Globe, a Spider-Man for a husband and the people Zendaya thanks most are not directors. It’s Mum and Dad.
- Zendaya was born on 1 September 1996 in Oakland, California.
- Both her parents, Claire and Kazembe, taught for a living.
- Dad swapped teaching for managing her career.
- She’s her parents’ only child but one of six kids.
- Claire and Kazembe divorced in 2016 and stayed pals.
Who are Zendaya’s Parents?
Meet Claire Stoermer and Kazembe Ajamu Coleman. Dad wasn’t always Kazembe. He was born Samuel David Coleman, then reclaimed the name Kazembe Ajamu to honour his Nigerian roots. Mum is of German and Scottish stock and crossed the Atlantic for university. This lot don’t overshare, but Zendaya’s never shy about where she’s from. “I have roots in Africa. Like, I am from Africa, as well as from Germany, and I am very proud of that,” she told Elle.
Claire Stoermer: The Teacher Who Led By Example
Picture Oakland. Underfunded classrooms. And Claire showed up anyway, lighting up the kids who’d been written off. “Growing up, I watched my mom teach in the heart of Oakland, Calif., at inner-city schools that were always underfunded,” Zendaya told Teen Vogue in 2016. “My mom went above and beyond, working constantly to open her students’ eyes to an education that could lift them far beyond their current circumstances.”
“She would introduce them to the arts, guide them through the language of Shakespeare, and show them the wonders of nature outside city life — all things that they wouldn’t have experienced otherwise.” No wonder, without acting, she’d be “a teacher in a heartbeat—guaranteed!” When the LA auditions started, Claire didn’t tag along. She stayed in Oakland and grafted two jobs – teacher by day and the California Shakespeare Theatre by night – to fund the endless car trips. On Tina Knowles’ Talks with Mama Tina, she said it flat out:
“We were paycheck to paycheck, so I took that second job.” Mum’s a make-up-free icon. Zendaya told Vanity Fair it shaped her: “My beauty icons are the women in my life. My mom didn’t wear makeup; I don’t think she knew that, to me, it was empowering that she didn’t care.” Claire’s also has a sparkly side hustle: Kizzmet Jewellery, all amethyst, haematite and chrysocolla. Her daughter’s the proudest customer going: “So my mom’s a dope ass jewellery designer/maker and also slays my line,” she once posted on X.
Kazembe Ajamu Coleman: From Classroom to Manager
Dad taught, too, and strictly. Zendaya once told Us Weekly she “always had to take school very seriously”, confessing that “in 2nd grade [I] failed some spelling tests and got in a lot of trouble!” Then his kid announced she wanted the spotlight, and Kazembe went all in. “I was basically like, ‘I want to do this,’ and my dad quit his job as a teacher to make it happen,” she told Glamour. Off they went to a poky downtown LA flat – just them and the red carpet. The man’s protective, too. People caught his warning from an Essence luncheon: “My dad is going to vet any guy that even looks at me.”
Zendaya’s Five Older Siblings
Only child? Technically. Zendaya’s the one Baby Claire and Kazembe made together, but she’s the baby of a crew of six. Dad’s got five older kids from before: sisters Katianna, Annabella and Kaylee, and brothers Austin and Julien. She adores them: “I look up to my big sister and realise the influence she’s had on me in making me a better person,” she gushed to TIME. Big sis Katianna — “Kizzi” to the fam — is married and settled in Oakland with two teenage daughters, Imani and Isys.
Brother Julien answers to “EZ” and has three kids; the eldest, Ezenia (“Zink”), is about a year older than Zendaya and her ride-or-die since birth. Cosmopolitan reckons brother Austin gets mixed up with Zendaya’s assistant, Darnell Appling — the mate she jokingly calls her brother, who very much is not. Auntie’s life shifted her too. She told Complex her nieces and nephews come first — one day they’ll be online, and she’ll be the cool aunt going, “This is how you handle it, kids.”
Growing Up in Oakland
Little Zendaya went to Fruitvale Elementary, where Mum taught. She was so shy her parents made her repeat kindergarten to build her nerve. She danced with hip-hop crew Future Shock Oakland for three years, dabbled in hula, and then caught the acting bug helping Claire at the Shakespeare Theatre. First Disney gig? Age 13. She packed up for LA with Dad and never looked back. And that gorgeous name? From the Shona word “Tendai” — “to give thanks”.
Are Zendaya’s Parents Still Together?
Nope, and it’s the calmest celeb split going. Claire filed for divorce in August 2016 after eight years married, though they’d drifted apart long before. Zendaya shut the gossip down herself: “My parents haven’t been together for a long time; y’all didn’t know because we’re private + they’re still homies #lateassnews.” Popsugar even spotted her citing the pair as relationship goals — Mum’s the tall one, “taller than everyone”, in fact.
How Her Parents Shaped a Superstar
Shake It Up, K.C. Undercover, Euphoria, Dune, and Spider-Man – and through the whole ride, Zendaya keeps pointing back home. “I gotta give it up to my parents. I’m really lucky to have the parents that I have,” she said on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. They’re still there for the big stuff. One family home is literally where Tom Holland proposed over the 2024 holidays, and TMZ says he asked her “very traditional” dad for the blessing first. So when did stylist Law Roach let slip the pair had secretly wed at the 2026 Actors Awards? Mum Claire just reposted the clip, captioned “The laugh…”.
FAQs
- Who are Zendaya’s parents? Ans: Claire Stoermer and Kazembe Ajamu Coleman. Both taught before Dad became her full-time manager.
- Are Zendaya’s parents still married? Ans: No. Claire filed for divorce in 2016 after eight years. They split earlier but stayed friends.
- What nationality are Zendaya’s parents? Ans: Mum Claire is German and Scottish. Dad Kazembe is African-American with Nigerian roots.
- Does Zendaya have siblings? Ans: Yes, five older half-siblings from her dad’s earlier marriage. She’s the only child her parents share.
- What does Zendaya’s mum do now? Ans: Claire runs a jewellery brand, Kizzmet Jewellery, after years of teaching in Oakland.
- Why did Zendaya’s dad become her manager? Ans: He quit teaching to help her chase acting, moving to LA and steering her early career.
Sources & References
- People – Zendaya’s father is protective, as she said, “My dad is going to vet any guy that even looks at me.”
- Cosmopolitan – Brother Austin gets mixed up with Zendaya’s assistant, Darnell Appling.
- Elle – I have roots in Africa. Like, I am from Africa, as well as from Germany, and I am very proud of that.
- Popsugar – Kazembe Ajamu Coleman is the tall one, “taller than everyone”.
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