They have a reputation for being very quiet about their relationship since they were initially linked in 2017.
In an interview with US ELLE published on Wednesday, Zendaya explained why she keeps her relationship with boyfriend Tom Holland private.
The 26-year-old American actress said she has “accepted” that elements of her life would be made public, but she has realized she “has control over what she shares.”
She claimed she is no longer ‘afraid to exist’ but prefers to ‘guard’ her relationship with her 27-year-old spouse.
The cover girl revealed a rare glimpse inside their romance while posing for the September issue of the magazine.
Loved-up: Zendaya has opened up about why she keeps her relationship with boyfriend Tom Holland private in an interview with US ELLE which was released on Wednesday, (pictured together in December 2021)
Opening up: The American actress, 26, told the publication she has ‘accepted’ that parts of her life are going to be public but has realised she ‘has got control over what she shares’
She said: ‘Parts of my life, I accept, are going to be public.
‘I can’t not be a person and live my life and love the person I love. But also, I do have control over what I choose to share.
‘It’s about protecting the peace and letting things be your own but also not being afraid to exist. You can’t hide. That’s not fun, either. I am navigating it more than ever now.’
Tom and Zendaya have kept their romance low-key since they were first linked in 2017 after starring opposite one another in the Spider-Man franchise.
But they did famously appear together on Lip Sync Battle in 2017, with Tom performing as Rihanna and Zendaya performing as Bruno Mars.
Despite how private they are, Tom recently gushed over his relationship with Zendaya and told how he is ‘lucky’ to have her in his life.
The Marvel star sweetly described their relationship as ‘worth its weight in gold’ as he spoke about how they can share their life and work experiences with each other.
Speaking on the SmartLess podcast, he gushed: ‘I’m lucky that I have someone like Zendaya in my life.’
‘It’s interesting being in a romantic relationship with someone that is in the same boat as you,’ he went on, according to Entertainment Tonight.
Private: She admitted she is no longer ‘afraid to exist’ but likes to ‘protect’ her relationship with her Spider-Man actor beau, 27
‘You can’t hide. That’s not fun. I am navigating it more than ever now’: While posing for ELLE’s September 2023 issue, the covergirl gave a rare insight into their relationship
‘You can share your experiences and all that sort of stuff. And that’s worth its weight in gold.’
Last month, they were observed serenading each other at Beyonce’s concert in Warsaw, in a beautiful scene captured on camera.
The lovebirds couldn’t stop singing along, pointing, and dancing at each other as Beyonce blasted out her smash single, Love On Top.
Zendaya put an end to rumors that she was pregnant with her first child in June of last year, after a TikTok prank went viral.
The video included a manipulated phony ultrasound shot that appeared to be released by the Primetime Emmy Award winner herself.
The actress resorted to Instagram Stories to clarify the narrative, stating that people are “just making stuff up for no reason.”
Zendaya also gushed over her boyfriend Tom in a special birthday message for the Spider-Man star that she shared on Instagram last June.
To mark the actor’s 26th birthday, she shared a classic black and white photo of the couple embracing, along with a heartfelt statement.
‘Happy birthday to the one who makes me the happiest,’ she wrote, accompanied by a heart sign.
Tom responded to the tweet less than an hour later, writing three heart emojis below it.
The actors met when they were cast in the Spider-Man reboot, with Tom playing Peter Parker/Spiderman and Zendaya playing his love interest MJ.
She said: ‘Parts of my life, I accept, are going to be public. I can’t not be a person and live my life and love the person I love. But also, I do have control over what I choose to share’
Wow! Despite the couple keeping their romance low-key, they did famously appear together on Lip Sync Battle in 2017, with Tom performing as Rihanna and Zendaya performing as Bruno Mars (pictured)
Fans long suspected that Tom and Zendaya were in a relationship but their theories were confirmed when the pair were caught kissing in mid-2021.
Zendaya made it clear that the couple were not dating in August 2017, calling Tom one of her ‘best friends’.
‘We are friends. He’s a great dude. He’s literally one of my best friends,’ she said.
In June 2019, Tom denied claims that he was dating Zendaya, despite the couple’s onscreen chemistry giving fans optimism that the sparks were real.
In an interview with ELLE at the time, he stated that he and the former Disney actress are not in a relationship.
He stated that, while he is not currently dating anyone, he is ‘certainly a relationship person’. ‘I’m not the flashy sort; it’s not my way of life,’ he explained to the magazine.
However, on July 1, 2021, Zendaya and Tom shared their first kiss and officially announced their relationship.
During a Los Angeles outing, the couple was seen passionately kissing in his car, with the actor tenderly cradling Zendaya’s face as he leaned over from the driver’s seat of his Audi and locked lips with his girlfriend.
Since going public with their affair two years ago, the couple has showed admiration for one another on social media.
After acting as famous couple Peter Parker and MJ in Spider-Man: Homecoming, Tom and Zendaya established their romance on the foundation of friendship.
After the couple’s onscreen chemistry had fans hopeful that the flames were real, the British actor, 26, and the Euphoria star, 25, played coy and laughed off the relationship rumors that had been flying for years.
However, when the dynamic duo was photographed kissing in Tom’s car in July 2021, it was almost certain that the young couple’s relationship had grown into something more.
