Does 'The Drama' Know Zendaya Is Black?

Wesley loves Zendaya. The actress caught his eye as the charming but drug addled Rue in HBO’s “Euphoria.” But he thinks Hollywood hasn’t cast her in roles worthy of her considerable gifts. So when Zendaya showed up in the movie “The Drama” as a young Black woman with a secret from her past that threatens to derail her engagement to Robert Pattinson’s character, Wesley was cautiously optimistic. Here were two of Hollywood’s finest in a complex, high stakes, love affair — one made even more interesting by its interracial realities. But the movie inexplicably dodges the question of race. So Wesley invites Gina Cherelus, who covers dating and culture at The New York Times, to help him unpack "The Drama" — what it knows, and doesn’t, about what it’s up to.

You can listen to Does 'The Drama' Know Zendaya Is Black? online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Does 'The Drama' Know Zendaya Is Black? is an episode from Still Processing by The New York Times.

This episode is 00:41:51 long.

This episode was published on Apr 23, 2026.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from Still Processing when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.