Claire Marie Stoermer is an American teacher, entrepreneur, and jewelry designer best known as the mother of actress and singer Zendaya Coleman. She was born in Oakland, California, on March 24, 1964. Long before Zendaya became a Disney Channel star and later a global actress, Claire spent nearly two decades teaching in Oakland’s public schools. Her early background shaped a mindset built on discipline and personal values. 

Zendaya has credited that same mindset for the confidence she now carries into acting and red carpet appearances. Claire built her own identity as a dedicated teacher, and later an entrepreneur, separate from her daughter’s global fame, and her family’s diverse background continues to shape her lasting impact on their public life.

Who Is Claire Stoermer?

Claire Marie Stoermer is a 61-year-old educator, entrepreneur, and jewelry designer from Oakland, California. She holds American nationality with German, Scottish, and African-American heritage. She is often described as a celebrity mother, though her working life reaches far beyond that label.

She is best known as the mother of Emmy Award winning actress and singer Zendaya Coleman. Before that connection defined her public life, Claire spent close to two decades teaching at Fruitvale Elementary School in Oakland’s Fruitvale neighborhood. She also worked as a house manager at the California Shakespeare Theater in Orinda, California.

Her personal love for stones eventually turned her into a crystal collector, and that hobby became the foundation for Kizzmet Jewelry, her own gemstone jewelry brand. Today she stands out as a former teacher turned entrepreneur, tied publicly to her daughter’s Disney Channel and Spider-Man actress career.

Quick Facts / Profile Summary

She is also known publicly as Claire Stoermer Coleman. Her father is Philip Hillary Stoermer and her mother is Daphne Carol Whitelaw. She grew up in a working-class Christian household alongside her siblings Hillary Andrew Stoermer and Mark Andrew Stoermer.

Early Life, Family Background & Education

Claire’s early life took shape in Oakland, California, within a family that valued tradition and education equally. Her mother, Daphne Carol Whitelaw, carried German and Scottish ancestry passed down from her own parents, Douglas William Walker Whitelaw and Thelma Ray Kelly. Her father, Philip Hillary Stoermer, was the son of Fritz Hilary Stoermer and Marian Elizabeth Pier. That mix of European roots gave the household a sense of diversity from the start.

Claire is the youngest of six children. Her brother Mark Andrew Stoermer is only eleven months older, close enough in age that the two have been mistaken for twins. Her sister Hilary was also part of that large family, along with five older siblings in total.

In 2021, Claire told the Daily Mail about her Scottish grandfather, a World War I veteran who was shot in the trenches and later returned to Canada carrying shrapnel wounds. That story reflected the same respect for hard work she later passed on through her own upbringing.

She attended Oakland High School before enrolling at Santa Clara University, graduating in 1987. That education prepared her to enter the public school system a few years later, where discipline and awareness became central to her teaching.

Ethnicity & Nationality Explained

Claire Stoermer holds American nationality. Her mother’s side carries German and Scottish ancestry, while her father’s side traces African-American heritage. That combination makes her ethnicity mixed rather than a single background.

Some older profiles list her as Caucasian-American or add English and Irish descent, but the German, Scottish, and African-American mix is the version she has confirmed publicly. Readers searching Claire Stoermer ethnicity often expect one simple label, but her actual background reflects several family lines coming together.

Career: Teaching & Theater Management

Claire began teaching in 1990, joining the Oakland Unified School District. She spent most of that time at Fruitvale Elementary School in the Fruitvale neighborhood, a school that was often underfunded but never short on her energy. Inside the classroom, she brought geology lessons built around crystals alongside Shakespeare and the arts, going beyond the standard curriculum.

In 1998, she took on a second role as theater house manager at the California Shakespeare Theater in Orinda, California. She handled maintenance, sold tickets, and worked as a trainer in the theater’s student education program, teaching theatrical arts to young performers.

Running both jobs at once demanded patience, communication, and constant discipline. Zendaya often joined her mother at the theater, selling raffle tickets and watching live performances up close, which quietly shaped her own acting career. Claire left the classroom around 2009, closing out nearly two decades in education before her professional life shifted toward jewelry design in the 2010s.

Kizzmet Jewelry: Business & Brand

Kizzmet Jewelry is Claire’s handmade gemstone brand, built on a passion for stones that started decades earlier. Her interest traces back to the geology units she once taught her Oakland elementary students, where crystals first became part of her daily work. Over 25 years, that hobby grew into a personal collection of amethyst, chrysocolla, hematite, aura quartz, and labradorite, sourced from around the world.

Every piece from Kizzmet is custom or one-of-a-kind, sold through the Kizzmet website at kizzmetjewelry.com. The brand has been active since at least 2018, offering both ready-to-ship inventory and custom order options. Claire also runs live sales through Instagram, where @kizzmetjewelry has grown past 40,000 followers.

In May 2020, InStyle magazine featured the jewelry line, giving it exposure to a mainstream audience well beyond Zendaya’s own fanbase. Customer reviews describe the handmade pieces as thoughtful, and many buyers return for each new drop.

Marriage & Relationship With Kazembe Ajamu Coleman

Claire met Kazembe Ajamu Coleman, born Samuel David Coleman, sometime in the 1990s. Kazembe adopted his name later in life to honor his Nigerian heritage. Their daughter Zendaya was born on September 1, 1996, though the couple did not formally marry until 2008, when she was already 12 years old.

Through that marriage, Claire became stepmother to Kazembe’s five children from an earlier relationship. She and Kazembe filed for divorce in August 2016, citing irreconcilable differences, with neither side asking for spousal support. Zendaya addressed the separation on Twitter at the time, describing her parents as remaining close.

Even after the marriage ended, both parents kept a strong sense of responsibility toward their children’s well-being. Their co-parenting continued well beyond the divorce, and as of 2026 the two still appear together at family events.

Kazembe Ajamu Coleman’s Background

Kazembe worked as a gym teacher before becoming a full-time bodyguard and later Zendaya’s manager. He is of African-American ethnicity and holds American nationality. As of 2020, his net worth was estimated at around $300,000.

He is active on Instagram under @kazembeajamu, with roughly 25.7 thousand followers across 854 posts, and has close to 9,872 followers on Twitter. His five children from his first marriage are Austin, Annabella, Karianna, Julien, and Kaylee.

Children & Blended Family

People searching for Claire Stoermer kids usually want to understand her parenting style. Claire raised her blended family around education, discipline, and self-respect rather than fame or popularity. She gave her children freedom to pursue what interested them, whether that meant acting, dancing, or fashion.

As stepmother to Katianna, Annabella, Kaylee, Austin, and Julien, she extended that same parenting style beyond her one biological daughter. That approach built confidence in all five other siblings, not just the one who became famous, and it kept hard work at the center of the household.

Daughter Zendaya Coleman

Zendaya Coleman’s full name is Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman. The middle name Maree is actually Claire’s own middle name, rendered with an African spelling instead of the more common Marie. Born on September 1, 1996, Zendaya grew up with five older half-siblings and first found the stage through the raffle tickets she sold at her mother’s theater job.

She became a Disney Channel star through Shake It Up before moving into music with Watch Me, which reached the 86th spot on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2013, she became the youngest contestant on Dancing with the Stars, and the following year she won the Artist with the Best Style Award and the Choice Style Icon Award at the 2014 Radio Disney Music Awards for You’ve Got Swag. She later won a Primetime Emmy Award for her acting work.

Bond With Zendaya & Influence on Her Success

Zendaya has spoken in interviews, including with Teen Vogue, about how her mother’s guidance shaped her mindset early on. Claire taught her to stay humble and respect hard work over popularity, values that carried into her acting career. That parenting style gave Zendaya a professional attitude and respectful behavior on set long before she became a global star.

Their mother-daughter relationship rests on trust built over years of shared experiences, from auditions to industry pressure. Rather than controlling every decision, Claire gave her daughter independence to learn through her own choices. That balance of support and understanding kept Zendaya grounded even as her career and confidence grew.

Community Involvement & Philanthropy

Claire spent 19 years working inside underfunded inner-city schools, which itself counts as a quiet form of community investment. Beyond the classroom, she has taken part in YourMomCares, a nonprofit organization focused on children’s mental health founded by Sharon Feldstein and Patsy Noah. 

The group later gained recognition from the White House after drawing in other well-known parents, including Robin Paul, mother of Chris Paul, Terria Joseph, mother of Alicia Keys, and Joann Lacono, mother of Jimmy Kimmel. Claire is a participating figure in the organization rather than a co-founder.

In July 2018, following the death of Oakland community figure Coach Phee, Claire joined an online fundraising effort to support his family through several online fundraising platforms, including Mobli. Zendaya has since carried that same spirit into her own work with UNICEF and Convoy of Hope, focusing on education-focused causes.

Physical Appearance: Height, Weight & Style

Claire stands at 5 feet 6 inches and weighs around 66 kilograms. She has blonde hair and blue eyes, along with a small deer tattoo on her left middle finger. Her personal style stays simple and graceful rather than chasing celebrity trends or fast-changing fashion.

When she does appear at public events alongside Zendaya, her quiet strength and confidence stand out more than any specific fashion choice. She is not one to draw comparisons to red carpet style icons, and that appears intentional.

Net Worth

Claire’s net worth is estimated between $500,000 and $1.5 million. Most of that comes from her teaching career at the Oakland Unified School District, where she worked from 1990 to 2009 and built up pension benefits over 19 years. Her time as house manager at the California Shakespeare Theater in Orinda added a second income stream during those same years.

Kizzmet Jewelry has been active since 2018 and adds ongoing revenue through kizzmetjewelry.com, live Instagram sales, and custom orders. National editorial coverage from the InStyle feature in May 2020 also raised the brand’s profile. Compared to a typical Oakland schoolteacher, Claire’s small business has clearly added to her financial base.

Zendaya’s Net Worth (Comparison)

According to Celebritynetworth.com, Zendaya’s own net worth sits closer to $20 million. Her income comes largely from acting and music, along with brand deals for Chi Hair Care, Madonna’s Material Girl, and Beats Electronics. She has also worked as a spokesmodel for Lancome, Valentino, and Bulgari.

Social Media Presence

Claire’s main personal account is @claire_maree64, which has grown past 125,000 followers. Her posts mix jewelry pieces with photos of her dogs, Tiger and Noon, along with nature photography and travel photography rather than a polished public persona.

Her business account, @kizzmetjewelry, sits between 40,000 and 44,000 followers and focuses on product content, live sale announcements, and gemstone education. That live sale format has built strong customer interaction with long-term buyers over the years. She has little presence on Twitter/X, YouTube, or TikTok, and her Facebook business page stays modest by comparison. Zendaya’s own accounts, including @zendaya, reach tens of millions of followers, a scale her mother has never tried to match.

Controversies & Public Image

Claire’s public image has stayed clean overall, without any legal dispute or public feud attached to her name. The closest brush with controversy was the August 2016 divorce filing, which drew attention mainly because Zendaya addressed it on Twitter. Both sides handled the spousal support question with civility, and the split never escalated into a scandal.

In 2015, social media users made racist remarks about Zendaya’s parents’ appearance, tied to Claire’s mixed-race family and the racial scrutiny that often follows celebrities. Claire did not respond publicly, letting Zendaya handle it instead. That quiet dignity, paired with consistency in her own parenting, has defined her identity more than any single controversy.

She keeps a low-key lifestyle away from heavy media presence, focused on personal growth and a normal environment for her family rather than chasing public attention or the spotlight that comes with entertainment industry success.

Awards & Achievements

Claire has not received formal awards of her own, but her impact shows through her daughter’s career. In September 2020, Zendaya won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for Euphoria, becoming the youngest winner in that category at age 24. She thanked her parents directly in her acceptance speech, and Claire’s reaction was captured and shared widely.

Zendaya won the same Emmy again in 2022 and has since added a Golden Globe Award along with multiple Screen Actors Guild Award nominations. None of that happened without the 19 years Claire spent teaching, and the 25 years she spent collecting the stones that later became Kizzmet Jewelry.

Latest News & Updates (2026)

Heading into 2026, Claire continues running Kizzmet Jewelry with steady momentum. Live sale events on @kizzmetjewelry keep drawing repeat buyers, and the account has held its place above 40,000 followers since the brand’s early growth back in 2018.

The bigger family story right now is Zendaya’s reported engagement to Tom Holland. Reports from January 2025 say Holland proposed during the 2024 holiday season, reportedly after seeking approval from Kazembe Ajamu Coleman. 

Claire has not commented publicly on the engagement. Her own account, @claire_maree64, keeps growing past 125,000 followers, still filled with the same jewelry photos, nature photography, and pictures of her dogs Tiger and Noon that have always defined her online presence.

Lesser-Known Facts About Claire Stoermer

A few details about Claire rarely make it into standard bios. She taught geology and basic mineralogy to elementary students long before earth science became a personal hobby, and that early interest grew into her 25-year crystal collection.

Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman’s middle name uses an African spelling rather than the expected version, a detail tied directly to her mother’s own name. Claire and Kazembe married in 2008, not the mid-1990s as some older sources claim. Her grandfather’s story as a World War I soldier who carried shrapnel wounds still comes up when she talks about family history.

She is the youngest of six children, with five older siblings shaping her early sense of humility and discipline. After graduating from Santa Clara University in 1987, she carried that same grounded personality into everything that followed, from career support for her daughter’s creative interests to handling fame once the spotlight arrived. 

Kizzmet Jewelry’s InStyle magazine feature in May 2020 became a milestone confirming that self-belief. In July 2018, she used online fundraising platforms to support Coach Phee’s family. She has even been photographed at the unveiling of Zendaya’s wax figure at Madame Tussauds San Francisco, a moment built on confidence and respect rather than attention seeking.

Conclusion

Claire Stoermer’s influence on Hollywood runs through her daughter’s journey rather than her own spotlight. As a celebrity parent, she built her identity first as a teacher, holding onto values of consistency and care long before fame arrived. Her quiet strength continues to guide her family, proving that being Zendaya’s mother is only part of who she is.

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FAQs

Who Is Claire Stoermer?

Claire Stoermer is Zendaya’s mother, a former teacher from Oakland, California, who later became an entrepreneur and jewelry designer through her brand Kizzmet Jewelry.

How Old Is Claire Stoermer?

Claire Stoermer was born on March 24, 1964, in Oakland, California, which makes her 61 years old as of 2026.

Is Claire Stoermer White?

Claire Stoermer is not white. She has mixed ethnicity, with German and Scottish ancestry on her mother’s side and African-American heritage on her father’s side.

Who Is Claire Stoermer’s Husband?

Claire Stoermer was married to Kazembe Ajamu Coleman until they divorced in 2016 over irreconcilable differences, though they still co-parent their daughter Zendaya together.

How Many Children Does She Have?

Claire Stoermer has one biological daughter, Zendaya, and serves as stepmother to five stepchildren: Katianna, Annabella, Kaylee, Austin, and Julien.

What Is Claire Stoermer’s Net Worth?

Claire Stoermer’s net worth is estimated between $500,000 and $1.5 million, built through her teaching career, her work as a house manager, and Kizzmet Jewelry.

How Tall Is Claire Stoermer?

Claire Stoermer stands at 5 feet 6 inches tall, which is approximately 168 centimeters, an average height for an American woman.

What Is Kizzmet Jewelry?

Kizzmet Jewelry is Claire Stoermer’s handmade crystal jewelry brand, sold through kizzmetjewelry.com and through live Instagram sales events on her business account.