Meet Zendaya's Down-to-Earth Parents, Claire Stoermer and Kazembe Ajamu Coleman

Ask just about anyone: America has fallen in love with Zendaya. Hard. From her early appearance as Rocky Blue in the hit Disney Channel show Shake It Up where she shared the small screen with CeCe Jones (Bella Thorne) to her role as Rue in Euphoria to the Dune movies, the Emmy-winning star has made an indelible name for herself. But before she was the megastar she is today, she was just a girl growing up in Oakland, CA, trying to make a name for herself. 

While Zendaya is no stranger to the spotlight, she tends to keep her personal life private, family matters included. Though Zendaya and her parents seem to have a close relationship, little is known about her mother and father. 

While Zendaya has a tight relationship with her parents, both they and her half-siblings tend to keep out of the public eye. Here's everything we know about Claire Stoermer and Kazembe Ajamu Coleman, mom and dad to Zendaya (and read on for the actress's full name).

Stoermer Is a Former Teacher 

Aside from being Zendaya's mom, Stoermer has held various jobs throughout the years. Her most prominent position was teaching at Fruitvale Elementary School, where Zendaya herself attended in Oakland for nearly 20 years. 

"Growing up, I watched my mom teach in the heart of Oakland, CA, at inner-city schools that were always underfunded," Zendaya said in a 2016 interview with Teen Vogue. "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." 

The Euphoria actress continued: "Watching her was magical; it instilled within me a true appreciation of and devotion to the importance of education. If I wasn’t in entertainment, I’d be a teacher in a heartbeat—guaranteed!"

Zendaya has been open about how much her mom worked to help her acting career early on. In addition to teaching, Stoermer was the house manager at the California Shakespeare Theatre in Orinda, CA. On Tina Knowles-Lawson's show Talks With Mama Tina, Stoermer opened up about the struggles she faced working extra jobs just so Zendaya could live out her dreams. While living paycheck to paycheck was undoubtedly difficult for the entire family, Zendaya often credits the time spent in this theatrical environment as what fueled her passion for acting. 

Zendaya’s Mom Has Her Own Jewelry Line

After Stoermer retired from teaching, she started her own jewelry business, Kizzmet Jewelry, a custom jewelry brand that incorporates one-of-a-kind crystals, gems, and natural stones into each piece. In true good-daughter fashion, Zendaya frequently praises her mom's accomplishments and promotes the jewelry business across her social media channels. 

So my mom's a dope ass jewelry designer/maker and also slays my line????@clairemaree64 @KizzmetJewelry @dayabyzendaya #handwrappedcrystalchoker pic.twitter.com/zINrAU0woV

— Zendaya (@Zendaya) November 16, 2016

Her Parents Are Big on Culture

Just by looking at Zendaya's full name—Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman—you can see her family is all about bracing their blended ethnicity. In a PSA for the nonprofit organization Welcome.US, Zendaya sat down to talk with her parents about their backgrounds.

"I have my African first name. I have a middle name, that is [my mom’s] middle name which is French, but we did an African spelling. So, it’s literally me in a name,” she says. “And then you have Stoermer, and then you have Coleman. I literally have a timeline in history in my name.”

She adds, “I’m from Africa, as well as I’m from Germany. I’m very proud of that.”

Coleman Is a Former Teacher Too

If you haven't already noticed by Zendaya's many charitable acts, service runs in the family. Her father, Kazembe Ajamu Coleman, was a teacher too. As Zendaya became more serious about her acting career, her dad gave up his job in education to help her full-time.

"I was basically like, 'I want to do this,' and my dad quit his job as a teacher to make it happen. My mom stayed in Oakland because she had two jobs: teaching, and working at the California Shakespeare Theater at night. Those two jobs paid for all of our car trips back and forth for the year I was auditioning," she said in a 2017 interview with Glamour. 

Zendaya’s Dad Is Also Her Manager

"Luckily I had parents who were like, 'You know what? We believe in you.' I got my first job on the Disney Channel when I was 13, and it was just me and my dad in an apartment in downtown L.A.," Zendaya shared. "It was very difficult because I was dealing with all the pivotal girl moments. I remember getting my period and him not knowing what to do. It was a weird transitional phase."

As Zendaya's path to stardom became more apparent after each job she took, her dad transitioned into her full-time manager. While Zendaya is usually seen pulling up to events with boyfriend Tom Holland (aka Spider-Man), her father is never far behind. His protectiveness and dedication to his daughter are clear whenever they are seen out and about. 

According to an interview with People at the 2016 Essence's Black Women in Hollywood Luncheon, her dad even goes as far as vetting her boyfriends (watch out, Spidey). 

"My dad is going to vet any guy that even looks at me," she said. "If I decide to have my dad around to make sure dad vets them out and makes sure they are cool, they better go through dad first! You know what I'm saying?"

Coleman Has Children From a Previous Marriage

Zendaya is the sole child of parents Coleman and Stoermer. If you've seen Zendaya in interviews, trust us, you can definitely tell she gives off only-child energy with her zest for life and spunky personality. But Zendaya actually has five half-siblings from her dad's former marriage—three older sisters named Katianna, Annabella, and Kaylee, and two older brothers, Austin and Julien. 

While there's an age gap between Zendaya and her siblings, the group seems to have a pretty close relationship. Zendaya and her older sister especially have a close bond. 

"I look up to my big sister and realize the influence she's had on me and making me a better person," Zendaya spilled in a 2015 interview with TIME. "Having such a big, grounded family, I realized as you get older how important that is."

Coleman Is a Grandpa

Zendaya has opened up more than once about how awesome being an aunt is. Her father's other children have given him a slew of grandkids to keep up with and aunt Zendaya is doing her best to soak it all in. 

While she's close with all of her nieces and nephews, she's specifically spoken openly about how tight she is with her sister's daughter. 

“I think the closest person to me is my niece, who’s 20. She lives in L.A. with my sister who’s out here with her two daughters and husband," Zendaya said in an interview with Complex. "So I escape to their house all the time. I’ll call her at any time about anything, we’ll go out to dinner for random stuff. We just chill.”