Madame Tussauds is known for their intricate lifelike wax sculptures of celebrities and cultural figures, but with a recent unveiling, some think they missed the mark.
The Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in London announced its new wax figure of Zendaya this week, displaying the star decked out in a striking hot pink satin suit reminiscent of a gala appearance in 2016.
“Known for her roles in Hollywood blockbusters including ‘Spider Man,’ ‘Euphoria,’ ‘Dune’ and ‘The Greatest Showman,’ the American actor and singer is also considered a role model and fashion icon thanks to her statement looks, with her Madame Tussauds London figure being no different,” the museum remarked in a statement on the launch.
Zendaya’s look at The Humane Society of The United States’ To The Rescue gala on May 07, 2016 inspired the figure.
The issue, according to fans? The statue looks nothing like the 25-year-old actress.
“Why does Zendaya’s wax figure look like a flight attendant,” one person remarked on Twitter, to tens of thousands of likes.
“The wax version of Zendaya looks like she wants to speak to the manager,” another joked.
Others defended the figure, saying it looks “almost exactly like her.”
This isn’t the first time Madame Tussauds has been roasted online for their depictions of celebrities. In 2020, the museum unveiled a Nicki Minaj statue based on her “Anaconda” music video. Some fans were so flabbergasted by the replica that they wondered if the artists had bothered to look up a photo of the rapper.
Madame Tussauds has not publicly commented on the debate, nor has Zendaya. But for fans who want to see the statue in person, it will be publicly on view beginning Friday.
