Laverne Cox Tapped To Host E!'s Red Carpet Following Guiliana Rancic's Departure

The network expressed its excitement of Cox as the new replacement in a tweet filled with multiple emojis on Monday.

.@Lavernecox is the new E! Red Carpet host! We have no words, just emojis: ???? ???? ????????. https://t.co/FfkWlt1iD5
pic.twitter.com/4mfH2V1zIw

— E! News (@enews) May 10, 2021

Cox made the announcement with a simple retweet of the post. 

"For many years I would wake up early on awards show days, get my snacks in place and watch E!'s coverage all day long. I dreamed of walking red carpets," Cox told Variety. “Now, not only have I had several fun and amazing personal red carpet moments, I also get to be a red carpet guide for E!'s discerning audience and chat with my colleagues and folks I deeply admire for these very special events in their lives."

Along with her impeccable fashion stunts, the four-time Emmy nominee has also been a prominent advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. In 2014, Cox released a documentary she co-produced titled The T Word about transgender youth violence. Just last year, she spoke up about the time she and friends were attacked in November, as Blavity previously reported. 

On Friday, Rancic, who covered the show's red-carpet looks for 20 years, told fans in an Instagram post that she would be retiring from the role, thanking them for their support. In the post, she announced she will be pursuing a new deal with NBC Universal. According to Refinery29, details of the new project have not been revealed.

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A post shared by Giuliana Rancic (@giulianarancic)

Following the same sentiment, NBC Universal said on Monday that Rancic would be stepping down and that Cox would fill the role as a force of fashion, Insider reported. 

"As we continue to evolve the way we cover Hollywood's biggest nights, Laverne's passion for, and extensive knowledge of, the fashion community resonates with our audience and we look forward to seeing her shine on the other side of the velvet rope," the network said.

Prior to her departure, Rancic faced backlash for the racist comments she made about Zendaya’s appearance at the 2015 Oscars. Rancic, who was hosting E!’s Fashion Police show, blatantly dissed the star with a remark about her locs, The Washington Post reported. 

“I feel that she smells like patchouli oil . . . or weed,” Rancic said during the night of the show. “Yeah, maybe weed.”

Her blatantly ignorant remarks were not taken lightly. Many people quickly came to the actress’ defense, including Ava DuVernay, who also rocks locs, and started the #LocLife trend in 2019.  

In an elegant Twitter post, Zendaya, who is bi-racial, clapped back at Rancic saying her hair symbolizes strength and beauty. 

“There is already a harsh criticism of African American hair in society without the help of ignorant people who choose to judge others based on the curl of their hair,” Zendaya wrote.  

Despite Rancic’s questionable past, Cox gave her a shoutout in a post on Instagram for all of her hard work as the previous host.

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A post shared by laverne cox (@lavernecox)

"Thank you for setting such a high standard, for years of grace, class and style. Thank you for always being so amazingly kind and generous whenever our paths have crossed. Sending you so much love on your new chapter," Cox wrote.