Tom Holland and Zendaya Open up About Their Relationship Following Invasive Paparazzi Photos

Ahead of the hotly anticipated release of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Tom Holland sat down with GQ to discuss his time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and what he wants his career to look like. The conversation eventually turned to his relationship with his Spider-Man co-star Zendaya, which was confirmed via paparazzi photos in July of this year. Holland admitted that they both found that breach of privacy rather violating.

“One of the downsides of our fame is that privacy isn’t really in our control anymore,” Holland noted. “And a moment that you think is between two people that love each other very much is now a moment that is shared with the entire world.” Two months after the photos went viral, the couple seemingly confirmed their romance in a cute Instagram post that Holland shared for Zendaya’s birthday. “My MJ, have the happiest of birthdays. Gimme a call when your (sic) up xxx,” he wrote alongside an adorable selfie. However, the lack of agency in making their relationship public took a toll.

“I’ve always been really adamant to keep my private life private because I share so much of my life with the world anyway,” Holland explained. “We sort of felt robbed of our privacy.” The interviewer later hinted to Holland that perhaps the young couple simply wasn’t ready to share their relationship with the world, but Holland shut him down. “I don’t think it’s about not being ready. It’s just that we didn’t want to,” he explained.

“It’s not a conversation that I can have without her,” Holland continued. “You know, I respect her too much to say…this isn’t my story. It’s our story. And we’ll talk about what it is when we’re ready to talk about it together.” The Dune actress did eventually weigh in over the phone. “It was quite strange and weird and confusing and invasive,” Zendaya explained. “The equal sentiment [we both share] is just that when you really love and care about somebody, some moments or things, you wish were your own. I think loving someone is a sacred thing and a special thing and something that you want to deal with and go through and experience and enjoy amongst the two people that love each other.”