Kazembe Ajamu Coleman: Who Is Zendaya’s Father And Manager?
Kazembe Ajamu Coleman is the father of Zendaya and he also acts as her bodyguard and manager.
Ever since her career began in 2011, Zendaya has been on the path to superstardom. For the past five years, since her first appearance in the MCU as Michelle (aka MJ) in Spider-Man: Homecoming, that path has found its home. But to get there and remain on that path, she needed a great support system, which is what she got and still has with her manager/bodyguard/father, Kazembe Ajamu Coleman.
KAZEMBE AJAMU COLEMAN IS 62 YEARS OLD AND WAS BORN SAMUEL COLEMAN
Kazembe Ajamu Coleman was actually born Samuel Coleman on February 10, 1960, in Oakland, California. Not much else is known about Coleman and his life growing up in Oakland. What is known is that at some point in his life, he decided to search for his ancestry.
Coleman took a DNA test and from that test, he discovered his heritage. Because of this, Coleman decided to embrace it and legally change his name. So, Samuel Coleman became Kazembe Ajamu Coleman.
KAZEMBE AJAMU COLEMAN WAS A TEACHER EARLY IN HIS CAREER
Before Kazembe Ajamu Coleman became his daughter Zendaya’s bodyguard and manager, he was a teacher. Coleman graduated high school in Oakland and from there he went to college in California. He majored in physical education, eventually graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Physical Education in 1982.
After graduating with his bachelor’s degree, Kazembe Ajamu Coleman found his first calling as a physical education teacher. He held this position while Zendaya began to make noise in Hollywood. As her career grew, Coleman stepped away from teaching to become his youngest daughter’s bodyguard.
HE HAS SIX CHILDREN
Although Zendaya gets most of the attention in the Coleman family, she is not Kazembe Ajamu Coleman’s only child. Coleman has been married twice. Not much is known about his first wife, though he appears to have a cordial relationship with her.
With his first wife, Kazembe Ajamu Coleman has five children, all older than their famous sister. Coleman’s children are (from oldest to youngest) Austin Stoermer Coleman, Katianna Stoermer Coleman, Annabella Stoermer Coleman, Julien Stoermer Coleman, and Kaylee Stoermer Coleman. Apparently, Austin is the only other child of Kazembe Ajamu Coleman who has ventured down the path of acting, although there isn’t any information to verify this.
Speaking of Kazembe Ajamu Coleman’s children, there is the possibility that there is one more. In October 2020, Coleman posted a picture to his Instagram and with that said, “My first born, Latonja Coleman, and my teenage boo!!” The picture he posted showed a young lady, apparently his “boo,” holding a newborn baby.
Eyebrows were raised even more when Kazembe Ajamu Coleman posted a picture of his family, sans Latonja, that has her responding, “Am I still part of this family?”
ZENDAYA IS AN INTERNATIONAL SUPERSTAR
Although Zendaya was born on September 1, 1996, Kazembe Ajamu Coleman did not marry her mother, Claire Stoermer, until 2008. Like Kazembe, Claire was also a teacher. She taught at Fruitvale Elementary School, the same one Zendaya went to, for over two decades.
Claire’s marriage to Kazembe Ajamu Coleman lasted for eight years and saw Zendaya through her early years of show business. Together they helped Zendaya navigate her time with Disney, as her career began when she starred opposite Bella Thorne in the Disney Channel series, Shake It Up. Much of Zendaya’s early career involved her starring in music videos for artists such as Trevor Jackson, Taylor Swift, Beyonce, and Bruno Mars.
Zendaya was also busy making her own music, so her early career also involved her own music videos. She also shot a lot of music videos with her Shake It Up co-star, Bella Thorne. Yes, Kazembe Ajamu Coleman was with her every step of the way.
When Claire and Kazembe ended their marriage in 2016, many thought the two weren’t on speaking terms, especially given the fact that they both cited irreconcilable differences as to why they were divorcing. But on the contrary, the exes have maintained a great relationship. Claire did not ask for spousal support when they split, meaning that although they couldn’t continue to live under one roof together, it didn’t mean they didn’t still care for one another.
KAZEMBE AJAMU COLEMAN IS VERY PROTECTIVE OF ZENDAYA
Before Zendaya became an item with Spider-Man’s Tom Holland, she had caught the eye of NFL superstar wide receiver, Odell Beckham Jr. Apparently the two had been in contact and made that contact public when Beckham joined Zendaya at the Grammy Awards afterparty put on by the Universal Music Group. At the time, Zendaya remarked, “It’s funny because first of all, we weren’t on a date, so that’s what I love!” Then she added, “But, hey, look: let’s just say that I am an adult, you know what I’m saying? And I will choose to do things how I please to do it.”
The question, though, is how does this please Kazembe Ajamu Coleman? When asked, Coleman merely stated that the so-called “date” at the Grammy’s was merely an “audition” for OBJ. So then the question was asked of Zendaya – does her father have a say so in who she dates?
“My dad is going to vet any guy that even looks at me, so absolutely!” was Zendaya’s answer. She then elaborated, “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!” shared Coleman. “You know what I’m saying?”
So, what DID Kazembe Ajamu Coleman think of OBJ at the time? TMZ caught up with OBJ, Zendaya, and Kazembe as they were leaving the awards. Kazembe was asked if he approved of the relationship, to which he answered, “What relationship? There’s no relationship. We’re just friends.” He was then asked if he was chaperoning the two and answered, “Absolutely.”
He then offered, “When you see my daughter out on a date without me, it’s a relationship.” Kazembe concluded with, “It’s an audition.” Well, if we are going by Kazembe Ajamu Coleman’s words, then what Zendaya has with Tom Holland is a full-on relationship.
KAZEMBE AJAMU COLEMAN IS ON INSTAGRAM
One thing about Kazembe Ajamu Coleman that people find out quickly is that he is not a shy father. He is very protective of his youngest, but he is also proud of her as well. It is never more evident than by looking at his social media.
Kazembe is very active on Instagram. Born and raised in Oakland, he is a rabid fan of the Las Vegas Raiders football team, seeing as they originated in Oakland. With that in mind, he is also a major fan of MLB’s Oakland A’s. You can see his fondness for both teams on his Instagram.
On top of showing off his favorite sports teams, Kazembe Ajamu Coleman also loves to show off his family. He constantly posts Zendaya’s accomplishments, but he also has numerous pictures of his entire family.
