Giuliana sets it's straight on Today

It's something I want to be really clear about ... because I've never really spoken about it," she told Savannah Guthrie.

It was during the "Fashion Police" Oscar look roundup that Rancic said of Zendaya, "I feel like she smells like patchouli oil ... or weed." And while many found the remark racist, Rancic now insists the real problem was a result of editing.

"I find racism reprehensible," Rancic explained during her visit to TODAY. "I don't tolerate it at all. Nor have I ever. I think that's really important for me to get that out there, because that's been the hardest part of all of this — that someone could believe that I actually ... would have racial undertones in the things that I do. Absolutely not."

But she believes she understands why others saw things differently.