Wax figures are no strangers to strong fan reactions, especially when they’re meant to capture a beloved celebrity—but Madame Tussauds’ latest reveal has people talking for all the wrong reasons.
Earlier this month, Madame Tussauds New York unveiled a new wax figure of Zendaya (her 10th one!), styled in the brown Bottega Veneta look she wore to the Dune: Part Two premiere in Mexico City.
The figure even includes her engagement ring from Tom Holland, a detail meant to add to the realism.
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The Internet Reacts to Zendaya's Latest Wax Figure: 'Looks Off'
The recreated outfit features the same ab-baring cutout top paired with a textured leather skirt, along with glossy lips, stud earrings, and a full glam beauty look. The Euphoria icon's hair was also styled to closely match how she wore it at the premiere.
A team of 20 artists worked on the figure for more than a year, relying on hundreds of precise measurements and reference photos that were originally taken during a 2015 sitting.
“Zendaya has solidified her status as one of the most recognizable and respected stars of today,” Tiago Mogadouro, General Manager of Madame Tussauds New York, said in a Jan. 7 press release. “This figure is meant to honor her lasting influence on both entertainment and fashion.”
Still, despite the attention to detail, many fans couldn’t shake the feeling that something about the figure just seemed… off.
Fans took to Instagram to share their thoughts on the life-sized figure.
“It’s like what I envision Zendaya to look like in her 50s,” said one user.
A second noted, “Very confusing outfit, and the makeup makes her look older.”
A third netizen commented, “The nose, chin, and jawline are off...even if it's slight, it changes her face.” A fourth said, “It looks like you tried to make Zendaya in The Sims 4.”
“No. They didn’t get this one,” said one person. A sixth quipped, Tthey gotta fire whoever was in charge.” One user added, “Overarched her brows, made her face skinnier, and made her nose flatter; that’s why it looks off.”
Someone else said, “The wax figure looks nothing like Z.”
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Some fans even began debating which celebrities the wax figure resembled, saying that without Zendaya’s photo shown alongside it, they wouldn’t have known who it was meant to be.
“This is a combo of J-Lo with Catherine Zeta-Jones! Not Zendaya!”
“It's kind of like Serena meets Eva Mendes.”
“Maya Rudolph looks great.”
“Flashback to a young Victoria Principal.”
“It’s giving Catherine Zeta-Jones.”
Back in 2015, Zendaya said being immortalized in her first Madame Tussauds wax figure was a “major, major honor.” She noted that it felt especially meaningful to be represented in the Bay Area, her home region, calling the experience “cool” and describing the reveal as the “best trip ever.”
At the time, she added, “I get to be home and be with my people… and also my twins!” While the Challengers' actress was open about her excitement then, she has not yet publicly commented on the newly unveiled 2026 figure.
