Zendaya and Tom Holland are one of the most beloved celebrity couples in the world, despite their love life being kept incredibly private.
However, the star of Challengers decided to lift the veil ever so briefly and provide some clarity into her relationship with Holland as she ponders their future children and the effects fame has on a human being.
“When I was younger there was less pressure,” Zendaya noted, “I got to get into a zone of being that part of myself, which is definitely not a thousand per cent natural. She gets rusty.”
While Zendaya admits her struggles with her general increase in popularity, she says that Holland’s rapid stardom following the release of Spider-Man: Homecoming was even more life-altering.
“My career was already kind of going, and his changed overnight,” Zendaya explained, “One day you’re a kid and you’re at the pub with your friends, and then the next day you’re Spider-Man… I definitely watched his life kind of change in front of him.”
Zendaya and Tom Holland on the red carpet for Spider-Man: No Way Home. (Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images)
Zendaya adds that, despite Holland getting caught in a whirlwind of fame upon his casting in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he handled it quite well, all things considered. When speaking about the couple’s lack of public privacy, Zendaya says she’s somewhat come to terms with the impact fame has had on her life.
“You just kind of get used to the fact that, ‘Oh, I’m also one of these art pieces you’re going to take a picture of,’” Zendaya said candidly, “I just gotta be totally cool with it and just live my life.”
Despite her general acceptance of this, the Dune actress poses the question of whether or not she wants to exist like that forever, especially in the event that she has children of her own. “I don’t necessarily want my kids to have to deal with this,” Zendaya admitted, “And what does my future look like? Am I going to be a public-facing person forever?”
Zendaya and Tom Holland together at an event. (David M. Benett/Dave Benett/WireImage)
Ultimately, Zendaya’s unwavering fame is something she continues to ponder and adapt to every day. However, as she continues to be a public-facing person, she seems to have learned to be more forgiving to herself than she once was.
“I have learned that I can say no, and I can say kindly that I’m having a day off, or I’m just trying to be myself today,” Zendaya explained in regards to being stopped in public for pictures or interviews.