Meet the Sisters Behind Zendaya’s Stardom: Inside the Family Powering Her Success

Zendaya might be one of the most famous people on the planet, but her life still runs on family time. She grew up in Oakland with her mom and dad, is the only child of their marriage, and has five older half-siblings through her dad. The whole crew is tight, which she talks about a lot. And when she does, it usually sounds less like celebrity spin and more like a real person who goes home to a very full dinner table.

The big picture: how her family fits together

Zendaya was raised in Oakland by her parents, Claire Stoermer and Kazembe Ajamu Coleman. She’s their only child together, but thanks to her dad’s previous relationship, she also has three older sisters (Katianna, Annabella, and Kaylee) and two older brothers (Austin and Julien). Despite the age gaps, they operate like one close unit. That shows up in her work ethic, the projects she picks, and the way she handles fame.

At the London premiere of Challengers, she laughed about being the fun aunt who gets to hand the kids back when the sugar rush hits:

'I have many, many little nieces and nephews. So they’re like my borrowed children. I get to have fun and then give them back to their parents.'

There have also been reports that she and Tom Holland got engaged in December 2024. If that’s accurate, the family tree is about to get even busier.

The siblings, the vibes, the receipts

• Katianna 'Kizzi' Stoermer Coleman – The big sister Zendaya openly credits with shaping her into a better person. Kizzi lives in Oakland with her husband and their two daughters, Imani and Isys. She keeps her life off social media, but Zendaya’s respect for her is obvious and often shows up in how she talks about staying grounded as her career jumped from Disney’s Shake It Up (2010) to Spider-Man, Dune, and Euphoria. For what it’s worth, Celebrity Net Worth pegs Zendaya at about $22 million, and she still points back to family as the anchor.
• Annabella Stoermer Coleman – Another older half-sister who stays private. She shares the same dad as Zendaya but a different mom. Publicly, you’ll only catch the occasional family photo, but the bond is there; she’s part of the inner circle that keeps Zendaya steady.
• Kaylee Stoermer Coleman – The youngest of the older sisters, reportedly born around 2003, and also low-key. She’s popped up at events with Zendaya (like a 2017 Michael Jackson tribute), and some outlets say she started modeling at 12. Mostly, she’s focused on school and living life off-camera.
• Austin and Julien – Zendaya’s older brothers. Julien’s daughter Ezenia (nicknamed 'Zink') is the niece Zendaya’s the closest to; more on that below.

Parents who did the work

Claire Stoermer taught at Fruitvale Elementary in Oakland, the kind of inner-city school where budgets are thin and teachers end up doing everything. Zendaya has said her mom went out of her way to give students experiences they wouldn’t have otherwise: exposure to the arts, Shakespeare, and even nature beyond city limits. Claire also worked as a house manager at California Shakespeare Theater, which dovetailed nicely with a daughter who liked being around the stage. Later, she launched Kizzmet Jewelry, and Zendaya has boosted those pieces often.

Kazembe Ajamu Coleman, also a former teacher, eventually left that job to help Zendaya pursue acting full-time and became her manager. He’s famously protective. Zendaya has joked that any guy who wants to date her has to get past her dad first, which, honestly, feels like the most dad move possible.

The aunt life: premieres, game nights, and 'borrowed children'

Zendaya brings her family into the fun when it makes sense. At the world premiere of Spider-Man: Homecoming in 2017, some of her nieces and nephews came as her dates, which is adorable and also extremely on brand for her. She’s also tight with her niece Zink (Julien’s daughter) — they did a Teen Vogue manicure video back in 2014 where they played a 'Besties Word Association' game and looked like, well, besties.

She once said her closest person might actually be that niece, and that she’d escape to her sister’s place in L.A. to hang out with the family whenever she could — dinners, random hangs, zero pretense. For someone who lives under a microscope, that kind of normal is priceless.

Why this matters to her work

Zendaya has been clear that the people who shaped her most are the ones at home. She’s called her mom a 'sheroe' and her dad the strong one who kept the guardrails up. That blend — big family, protective parents, a childhood around school hallways and Shakespeare stages — explains a lot about how she’s navigated a very fast climb without losing herself.

Looking ahead

Whether or not the December 2024 engagement chatter pans out the way tabloids say, the throughline stays the same: Zendaya’s compass is her family. If you’re wondering what will influence her next choices on screen (or off), start there. And if you’ve got a sprawling, blended, slightly chaotic family of your own, you probably recognize the playbook.