Store responds to Zendaya's discrimination claim

A representative for grocery chain Vons have responded to Zendaya's claims that she was discriminated against by an employee because of her "skin tone".

The actress/singer posted a series of videos to Snapchat to rant about the service she had received in a Vons store, claiming a female employee refused to issue her gift cards because she thought Zendaya couldn't afford them and then threw her wallet from the counter.

"So we just got out of this Vons," she explained as she walks through a parking lot. "Now I am trying to buy a lot of gift cards... There are some certain limits and some things which is understandable, OK cool, I'll take a less amount or whatever."

Continuing her rant once she's sat inside her friend's car, she added, "But the lady that was helping us... I don't think she was a huge fan of our skin tone.. In fact, I recall her not trying to help us at all, telling us we couldn't buy the gift cards and then throwing my wallet... I can't make this s**t up!.. This is what we deal with!"

Zendaya's fans were quick to rally around the former Shake It Up star, who added that the store attendant had looked at her as if she couldn't afford it when she told her she wanted $400 on the cards.

However, a representative for the grocery chain told People.com that there is a limit in how much money can be placed onto a gift card.

"At Vons, we strive to treat each and every customer with the utmost respect. There is a policy that limits gift card purchases using a credit card," they said in a statement. "Zendaya was able to purchase gift cards up to our limit, and we apologize for any inconvenience or misunderstanding.

"We respect Zendaya's voice in the community and similarly are committed to diversity and inclusion. Moreover, we understand that race is a sensitive issue in America and view this experience as a reminder that every interaction is an opportunity to treat each customer as we ourselves would like to be treated."

Zendaya finally managed to get her gift cards from the manager, who stepped in to help.