- Tom Holland opened up about dating Zendaya during an appearance on the Smartless podcast.
- “I’m lucky to have someone like Zendaya in my life,” Holland said.
- The actor said it was “interesting” to be in a relationship with someone who’s had a similar experience.
Tom Holland opened up about his relationship with Spider-Man co-star Zendaya, saying they could hit it off given their similar experiences in fame.
“I’m lucky to have someone like Zendaya in my life,” Holland said during an interview on Monday’s episode of the Wondery podcast titled “Smartless,” hosted by Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett. “It’s interesting to be in a romantic relationship with someone who’s in the same boat as you. You can share your experiences and things like that. And that is worth its weight in gold.”
Holland’s comments were prompted by Hayes asking the 27-year-old actor if he felt any pressure or obligation to be a role model given his large following and attention he’s garnered.
“I understand the responsibility,” Holland said.
Zendaya and Tom Holland in December 2021.
Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP
Holland and Zendaya met through their roles as Peter Parker/Spider-Man and MJ, respectively, in Sony and Marvel’s recent Spider-Man reboot.
The actors first shared the screen in the 2017 film Spider-Man: Homecoming and starred in two sequels, Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) and Spider-Man: No Way Home ( 2021).
Over the years, the pair closed dating reports, insisting their relationship was platonic. Holland also repeatedly credited Zendaya, who rose to fame as a Disney Channel star, for helping him navigate the spotlight after being cast as Spider-Man.
“She’s been a huge help in changing my life because not only do you make big movies and travel the world, but everyone starts to see who you are. And you have to behave differently,” he told Backstage 2021. “You have a responsibility to uphold this idea of being a role model for young children. And she’s probably the best at that.”
“It was so wonderful to have someone like her by my side to help me get through this process,” he said.
Peter Parker and MJ in Venice in Spider-Man: Far From Home.
Sony images
Then in July 2021, their dynamic was revealed to be romantic when they were photographed kissing in a Holland-driven Audi.
Months later, in a cover story for GQ’s Men of the Year, Holland said that he and Zendaya “felt kind of deprived of our privacy” when paparazzi snapped photos of them that summer.
“One of the downsides of our fame is that we can’t really control privacy anymore and a moment that you thought was between two people who love each other very much is now a moment you share with the whole world.” said Holland called.
Since then, the actors have kept a low profile about their relationship in general. However, that doesn’t stop them from going viral if caught Visit to the Louvre Museum or serenading each other at a Beyoncé concert.
More recently, Holland has mentioned their relationship in interviews without giving too many details.
“Our relationship is something that we are incredibly protective of and want to keep as sacred as possible,” he told the Hollywood Reporter in an article published in June. “We don’t think we owe it to anyone, it’s our business and it has nothing to do with our careers.”
In an interview with BuzzFeed, Holland said he has “no Rizz at all,” but that’s okay because “I’m happy and in love, so I don’t need Rizz,” referring to an internet slang term referred to for “”Charisma.”