Tom Holland Says He Is ‘Lucky’ to Have Zendaya in His Life as They’ve Similar Experiences With Fame

Tom Holland has opened up about his relationship with his girlfriend and Spider-Man franchise co-star, Zendaya. Holland recently appeared on the Wondery podcast, Smartless, which is hosted by Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett. The Uncharted actor expressed his gratitude for having Zendaya in his life. He spoke about how their shared experiences with fame have brought them closer.

Holland acknowledged, "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. You can share your experiences and all that sort of stuff. And that's worth its weight in gold."

The actor added, "It was so wonderful to have someone like her in my corner, to help me grow through that process." Talking about privacy amid their fame, Holland said, "One of the downsides of our fame is that privacy isn't really in our control anymore, 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."

This is not the first time that Holland has opened up about how his fame impacts his relationship and his life. In July 2021, pictures of the duo sharing a kiss while they waited at a red light in Holland's Audi made waves on the internet. Nearly four months later, in a cover story for GQ's Men of the Year issue, Holland said that he and Zendaya "sort of felt robbed of our privacy" after the incident. The actor shared about the pressure and responsibility that comes with being a role model, considering his massive following and the attention he receives.

In a February 2021 interview with Backstage, Holland spoke about how Zendaya had helped him with this pressure that he felt. He said, "I understand the responsibility. You have a responsibility to kind of uphold this idea of being a role model to young kids. And, arguably, she's the best at that." He had appreciated her, saying, "She was so helpful in the process of my life changing, because not only are you making big films and you're traveling the world, but everyone starts to know who you are. And you have to behave differently." 

The actors first collaborated in the 2017 film Spider-Man: Homecoming and continued their on-screen pairing in two sequels, Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) and Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021). Throughout their time working together, Holland and Zendaya consistently denied dating rumors and maintained that their relationship was platonic. However, in July 2021, their romantic involvement was confirmed when the photographs of them kissing became public.

Zendaya, who rose to fame as a Disney Channel star, and Holland have kept most details of their relationship under wraps. "Our relationship is something that we are incredibly protective of and we want to keep as sacred as possible. We don't think that we owe it to anyone, it's our thing, and it has nothing to do with our careers," he told The Hollywood Reporter in a feature that was published in June.