With The Odyssey and Spider-Man on Deck, Zendaya Faces Criticism for Wearing 3,000-Year-Old Iranian Gold Earrings

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ZENDAYA IS KNOWN AS THE QUEEN of method dressing, a process in which one uses their wardrobe to promote a character or a film. Internet claims suggest that the Euphoria actress is currently on a "generational run," especially in the fashion arena, while promoting her films and two of 2026's biggest projects: The Odyssey, directed by Christopher Nolan, and Marvel's Spider-Man: Brand New Day, starring alongside her husband, actor Tom Holland. 

“Zendaya’s best look is always the next one,” wrote several users on social media. As Zendaya’s outfits have become the talk of the town for months now, following the release of her last film The Drama, she is indeed on a generational run.

Recently, Zendaya sparked an online debate for all the wrong reasons after she wore an extraordinary pair of gold earrings to the London premiere of The Odyssey. Several users on the internet did their digging and shared their findings, revealing that the gold earrings were not just any ordinary pair.

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As per reports, Zendaya was wearing 3,000-year-old Iranian gold disc earrings. At the London premiere of The Odyssey, in which Zendaya plays Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, craft, and battle, she wore a custom Jacquemus outfit and accessorised it with gold plaque earrings.

Reports suggest that the Iranian Ziwiyen gold plaque earrings were sourced from a London-based artefact jeweller named Barron London. Ever since Zendaya wore the earrings to The Odyssey premiere, she and her longtime stylist, Law Roach, have been heavily scrutinised for wearing the Iranian artefact as a fashion accessory.

History of Zendaya’s Iranian Ziwiyen Earrings

The artefact jeweller reportedly stated that the gold earrings were redesigned by blending history with modern style. The gold discs feature a sun design, one of the oldest symbols used in the ancient Near East. The sun design also symbolises Shamash, the sun god associated with justice, divine power, and protection in Assyrian culture.

The history of the earrings dates back centuries, although reports suggest that the Ziwiye Treasure was discovered in the village of Ziwiye, Iran, in 1947. The villagers of Ziwiye, in the Kurdistan region, allegedly found a coffin filled with priceless gold artefacts. Due to the absence of archaeologists at the site, all of the artefacts were reportedly taken and sold as individual pieces. 

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Internet Calls out Zendaya's Iranian Earrings

One user also called out the actress's stylist, who had earlier flown on a private jet from London to Paris to get a Schiaparelli gown fresh from its runway debut for Zendaya to wear just hours later. The user wrote, "Wearing stolen Iranian artefacts as earrings leaves a bad taste in my mouth." Another user on X wrote, "Didn't y'all notice that she, a woman from the United States, is wearing earrings over 3,000 years old that were stolen from a country that's being bombed by her country???"

Another user explained, "Her earrings were made from ancient (likely stolen) artefacts—the Ziwiye gold medallion plaques from Saqqez, Kurdistan. The earrings were made by a London jeweller using these artefacts. So many things are wrong with this. Law Roach would have known that, and yet…" Another X user wrote, "I've been really disappointed in Zendaya lately... between the private jet for the dress, the earrings made from stolen artefacts from Iran, and this...." 

(Edited by Harsh Pandey)

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