Following speculation that the future of E!’s “Fashion Police” was in jeopardy, host Giuliana Rancic confirmed that the show will be returning in the fall.
“I think more than ever,
“So yeah, it’s coming back in September, in time for the Emmys,” Rancic said. “I will be on the show, Brad Goreski will be on the show, and now they just have to fill the other seats.”
The empty seats come after the sartorial series fell into crisis when Rancic suggested the dreadlocks hairstyle Zendaya wore to the Academy Awards looked like it “smelled like patchouli oil and weed.” Many, including the Disney Channel alum, found the remark racially charged and offensive, and the ensuing fiasco sparked Kelly Osbourne‘s decision to quit the show.
“Access Hollywood” host Billy Bush called it “the joke that was heard around the world,” on Wednesday as he addressed the ensuing fallout with Rancic.
Fortunately, “I think things have calmed down quite a bit,” the E! host said. “I didn’t talk about it, I was quiet, then my book came out and I was able to tell my side of the story … it felt like the tide turned and things calmed down.”
When asked if Zendaya had watched the show or learned about Giuliana’s comments via Twitter, she said: “I have never spoken to her, so I have no idea. The power of social media played a big part in it, as she posted on her Instagram then everyone responded. So many of these people commenting hadn’t watched the show, but they had read the statement and created whatever they wanted to create in their head and just went after us.
“I was getting threats, they are writing [son] Duke’s name in these tweets and saying they were going to kill me and my family. There were a lot of gun and gang pictures,” Rancic explained, stressing that these were “clearly not Zendaya’s fans.”
As for Osbourne’s sudden departure, she said, “It was a wild time, I was shocked. That night we spoke … she was so sweet, and we didn’t really understand what was going on. Our heads were spinning.”
“Did she [Kelly] turn on you?” “Access” co-host Kit Hoover pressed, as Bush asked if Osbourne was on her way out anyway.
“I don’t think so … there were issues, a lot of people had problems with the new season before it aired without Joan [Rivers] there. There were just a lot of problems. I don’t know what was behind these moves,” Rancic said.
Bush then encouraged Rancic to call up her former colleague to make up “and have some tea.”
“I feel like it has gotten so out of hand,” she replied, appearing resigned.
Watch video of the interview here.