Zendaya Surprises Nephew at His Folsom Football Game

WHO:

SFGATE - Zendaya, whose full name is Zendaya Coleman, is an Oakland native and has five older half-siblings on her father’s side.

SFGATE - Zendaya’s nephew, E.J. Coleman, plays for Folsom High School’s Bulldogs football team; Coleman referred to Zendaya as his “auntie.”

ComingSoon.net - Zendaya appeared to support her nephew, identified as EJ Coleman.

SFGATE - Folsom played local rival Del Oro; the Bulldogs are described as a perennial Northern California powerhouse.

SFGATE - Zendaya attended the Louis Vuitton Womenswear Spring/Summer 2027 show during Paris Fashion Week.

WHAT:

SFGATE - Zendaya attended her nephew’s Senior Night football game and watched Folsom defeat Del Oro, 42-41, in a close, back-and-forth game.

SFGATE - Zendaya sat in the “Dog House” section behind an end zone, reserved for family and friends. She posed for photos with Folsom cheerleaders and other teenagers and sang along to Oasis’s “Wonderwall.”

SFGATE - Zendaya wore a fluffy jacket and sunglasses. Coleman posted a photo with her wearing a custom shirt featuring him in uniform and jeans decorated by hand with “EJ” and Bulldogs logos.

SFGATE - Coleman is primarily a linebacker, sometimes plays offense, ranks third on his team with 42 tackles, and is tied for second with 5.5 tackles for loss. He scored on a fumble return in a win over Sacred Heart Cathedral.

SFGATE - Coleman is a three-star prospect committed to play college football at Washington State.

ComingSoon.net - Zendaya made a surprise appearance at a California high school football game to support a family member.

WHERE:

SFGATE - The game was at Folsom High School in Folsom, in the Sacramento area of California.

SFGATE - The fumble-return touchdown against Sacred Heart Cathedral took place at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco.

ComingSoon.net - Folsom High is described as being on the other side of the Bay Area.

WHY:

SFGATE - Zendaya attended to support her nephew, E.J. Coleman, and has said she wants to be a role model for her nieces and nephews.

ComingSoon.net - Zendaya’s appearance had a personal family connection: her nephew was playing in the game.

HOW:

SFGATE - Social media posts showed Zendaya in the family-and-friends section; Coleman shared that his “auntie” had come to watch him play.

SFGATE - KCRA3 shared video of Zendaya in the crowd; the footage was credited to Isha Suresh.

(UPDATED October 26, 2026 22:10 UTC)

Zendaya made a surprise appearance at Folsom High School in California to cheer on her nephew, E.J. Coleman, as the Bulldogs edged Del Oro 42 to 41 on Senior Night. She watched from the family-and-friends section, posed for photos with students and cheerleaders, and sang along to “Wonderwall,” while Coleman shared a photo with his auntie on social media. A three-star linebacker committed to Washington State, Coleman ranks third on Folsom’s team with 42 tackles.