Tom Holland and Zendaya have spoken out for the first time since their romantic relationship was made public, after paparazzi photos surfaced showing the Spider-Man actors kissing in a car.
“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,” Tom said in a cover story for GQ’s Men of the Year issue.
The British star continued: “I’ve always been really adamant to keep my private life private, because I share so much of my life with the world anyway. We sort of felt robbed of our privacy.
“I don’t think it’s about not being ready. It’s just that we didn’t want to.”
Before he revealed too much more about their romance, Tom stopped himself, noting that “it’s not a conversation that I can have without her”.
“You know, I respect her too much to say... This isn’t my story. It’s our story,” he explained. “And we’ll talk about what it is when we’re ready to talk about it together.”
Zendaya, for her part, described the photos surfacing as “quite strange and weird and confusing and invasive”.
“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,” she told GQ. “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.”
What’s clear from both of their comments is that love is indeed in the air after years of rumours that the co-stars were more than just friends.
Since the photos of them kissing made the internet rounds, they’ve been spotted out together multiple times ― be it attending a Fourth of July bash or a mutual friend’s wedding in August.
The two finally went Instagram official when Tom posted a cute behind-the-scenes snapshot of himself and the Euphoria star looking very much like a couple back in September.
“My MJ, have the happiest of birthdays,” Tom wrote, referencing her Spider-Man character. “Gimme a call when your up xxx.”
Zendaya responded in the comments: “Calling now.”
The trailer for Tom and Zendaya’s third Spider-Man movie together, No Way Home, was released on Tuesday. In a case of life imitating art and back again, the clip opens with two trying to escape hordes of paparazzi before sharing an on-screen lip lock.
Watch the trailer below: