Zendaya sure is everywhere, but apparently not in her new London wax figure — despite what Madame Tussauds might think.
The London attraction unveiled its new likeness of the “Euphoria” star Tuesday, but the reaction to it has been less than euphoric.
Z’s fans called out Madame Tussauds for missing the mark and making the “Spider-Man: No Way Home” actor look “like a Kardashian,” mainly Kylie Jenner. The figure shows Zendaya in a slicked-back bun and wearing a hot-pink pantsuit, which she wore in 2015 at the Humane Society of the United States’ To the Rescue Gala.
But critics specifically took issue with her pout and ensemble.
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The wax figure can be seen in the location’s “Awards Party Zone,” where it joins likenesses of Brad Pitt, Dwayne Johnson and Angelina Jolie. (Other themed areas include royals, Marvel and “Star Wars.”)
“Zendaya just exudes cool. Not only that, she uses her celebrity status to join conversations, thoughtfully, on important social issues,” Tim Waters, general manager at Madame Tussauds London, told PopSugar. “She is unapologetically herself — and we, along with her fans, love that about her. With rumours circulating that Zendaya is soon to become a Londoner herself, the timing to pay homage to her at Madame Tussauds London could not be better.”
Representatives for Madame Tussauds London did not respond Thursday to The Times’ request for comment.
The new figure was sculpted using measurements and references taken during her 2015 sitting with the attraction’s artists. The Emmy Award winner already has two figures at Madame Tussauds in San Francisco, which resemble her better than the latest offering. Zendaya was on hand to reveal them in 2015 and posed for selfies next to the two sculptures.
Alas, the 25-year-old actor hasn’t yet weighed in on her recent doppelgänger. But her fans certainly did.
“what in the Kylie Jenner?,” replied one Twitter user when Madame Tussauds London unveiled the sculpture.
“Is that the best you could have done?” wrote another.
Her fans didn’t hold back on Instagram, either, flooding the comment sections on the Madame Tussauds account’s three posts about the sculpture.
“They did her so wrong,” said one comment.
“Thats not Zendaya… This looks more like a mix of Kylie Jenner and Nicki Minaj,” replied another.
“I’m sorry but she doesnt look like Z. Her lips are definitely not like that,” another fan added.
“Gurl you have ICONIC looks from her and you put her in a Rupaul suit,” mused another fan.
“Zendaya has the most beautiful smile so I think it would’ve been nicer if the figure captured that, she doesn’t really pout like this,” commented one fan. “She has super pretty eyes, I’m not sure the figure has fully captured her natural beauty but it’s a good effort”
Others tersely said: “Who is this woman” and “She looks like a Kardashian. Change it!!!!”
Madame Tussauds has often come under fire for botching high-profile wax figures — and celebs’ outspoken fan bases refusal to let it go. In 2017, the museum’s sister location in New York was lampooned for messing up a Beyoncé likeness. Less than two years later, Madame Tussauds in Las Vegas unveiled a new Beyoncé wax figure that played up her Beychella look and was greeted as “flawless.”
In September, the Hollywood location unveiled actor Angela Bassett’s wax figure, which apparently was so realistic that people couldn’t tell it apart from the Oscar-nominated star.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
