Tom Holland scored the cover of GQ’s Men of the Year issue. I know I’m hopelessly biased towards Tom, but it really is good. Bless him, he’s not the most confident model, but they’ve styled him so well. It’s a nice, meaty interview as well and really shows how much Tom has matured. I was quite impressed with how he was able to explain the ways in which he’s grown. Like the way he spoke about his relationship with Zendaya. Tom and Zendaya were forced to go public when they were caught kissing by paparazzi. Prior to that, we all assumed they were playing coy in the ever-popular Hollywood game of romance cat and mouse. Tom explained that it was never about how much they cared for each other, but that he gives his fans almost everything and his private, romantic life is the one thing he wants to keep for himself.
This summer, when pictures emerged in the tabloid press of Holland and Zendaya in a car in L.A., kissing. It’s a small thing, a kiss. And ordinarily, two 20-somethings in a relationship embracing at a stoplight would remain what it is, a moment of intimacy between two people. Only in this case, that kiss was instantly beamed around the world, to be dissected in reaction videos, “relationship timelines,” and Entertainment Tonight. (Page Six: “Zendaya, Tom Holland finally confirm they’re dating with steamy car makeout.” As if they had any choice.) Holland’s private life had been in the press before, but this was different.
Holland’s and Zendaya’s fans had long obsessed over whether the pair were together (“tom holland and zendaya flirting for 8 minutes straight”: 1.5 million views). Some argued it must be a publicity stunt. “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,” Holland says. He has said very little publicly about the relationship, and you sense it’s something he’s still navigating, trying to work out how much to give. “I’ve always been really adamant to keep my private life private, because I share so much of my life with the world anyway,” he says. “We sort of felt robbed of our privacy.”
You weren’t ready to talk about it.
“I don’t think it’s about not being ready. It’s just that we didn’t want to.”
Holland knows that he’ll soon be on a global press tour, facing endless questions about it. “It’s not a conversation that I can have without her,” he says. “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.”
“It was quite strange and weird and confusing and invasive,” Zendaya tells me later, by phone. “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.”
[From GQ via Hollywood Life]
“This isn’t my story. It’s our story.” Lord, somebody remind me again that this man is too young for me. I love this answer. I don’t even care if it was something they concocted to throw the press off their scent, it’s a beautiful sentiment. It’s smart too, “we only discuss our relationship together,” is a great way to avoid questions in future interviews and not appear rude. I’m sure Tom and Zendaya do mean it, but I also believe they just want their private life to remain theirs for now – by any means necessary. And they deserve that. As Tom said, he has given us everything. Sometimes too much – like the spoilers for his movies. We should let him keep one part to himself. And if he wants to keep Zendaya to himself, who can blame him?
However… Dreams are discussed throughout the interview. It’s a whole thing between Tom and the interviewer, both of whom struggle with nightmares and sleeping in general. I do as well, which is why I was so interested. At the end of the interview, Tom talked about a reoccurring dream he keeps having in which he gets a girl pregnant and finds it terrifying. Only he’d had the same dream recently and this time, he wasn’t scared at all, saying, “After, I thought… I kind of miss my little girl now.” Thomas Holland! It’s not fair to give us this beautiful explanation of why we shouldn’t pry into his love life in one breath, and then talk about dreaming of becoming a dad in the next. He has to know who we are going to insert in that dreamscape as his baby mama.
Photo credit: Instagram
I love Tom and Z both and am happy they’ve found each other. I appreciate how protective they are of their their relationship and hope they continue To enjoy each other.
They’re so damn cute!
I just want to put him in my pocket and protect him from all that’s bad in the world. Zendaya too. Is that weird?
I love Tom! He looks so sweet and thoughtful and honestly a little confused but determined at all times. I do think it’s funny/strange that he would talk about pregnancy fears amid all these questions about his relationship IRL though.
Has anyone here seen those Tom Holland “manifesting” videos? People have put together clips of him being interviewed over the years and answering things like who’s your celebrity crush, what superhero would you want to be, and what actor would you love to work with? And it’s Zendaya, Spider-Man (“in ten years’ time”) and Jake! I love that for Tom.
That’s so cool he was trying to manifest (I’m guessing from your comment; haven’t seen the videos) all that years back and it’s all come true!
I have a soft spot for Tom Holland. He seems like a kind and decent human being. Plus, he can dance. His lip sync battle dance to umbrella left me breathless.
Same! I think he’s absolutely adorable (which possibly sounds condescending, but isn’t meant to be). He just seems so genuine and lovely. And he happens to be the only actor who could make Spiderman interesting to me. I wish him all the best.
that umbrella with him in drag made me question my sexuality for a hot minute. i watch it everytime it pops on my FB feed
Thanks for the reminder!! I just went and watched his lip sync battle again and I’ve never wanted to be an umbrella so much in my life as I do right now!!!
I fell in love with him after that performance. Bought an awesome t-shirt with an artistically drawn snapshot of him at the moment he swings the umbrella over his head with both hands and cocks his booty lmao. Watched Spider-Man which I’d been putting off. He’s younger than my oldest son so I oddly feel protective which I’ve never felt for any celebrity anywhere or any time. So stinking weird lol
I love her. And I love that she seems to have found a guy who is a really good decent person that treats her with respect and is humble. Best of luck to them both.
I am always here for more Tom Holland and Zendaya! I am old enough to be their mother, but they are just so darn adorable together. Really mature, well-adjusted youngins as well. Their love story is beyond sweet!
Is it just me or does Tom’s “serious” face look a bit sad maybe? Anyhow, he’s a cutie and I hope that he and Zendaya are able to keep private what they want to keep private.
Like this couple and like how they don’t have to be playing tongue hockey in front of cameras to make sure we know they’re in love.
I did want to say the pregnancy in dreams can mean the “birthing” of an idea, a new chapter of one’s life, the stepping out of one’s comfort zone to a new way of living. So it’s not weird for him to be having this dream as his life is changing and evolving so much and in so many different ways.
I adore him. I adore her. And I love them as a couple and want it to last forever. There truly is something deep in that relationship; it was obvious several years ago when he did that lip synch battle of Umbrella
Couldn’t agree more!!
Thank you for reminding to go rewatch Tom’s umbrella performance a dozen times.
Squeeee! They are SO cute together! Tom is a good dude. Honestly, I’m getting the same vibes I got when Harry started dating Meghan. The “this is it!” vibe. I know they are super young, but I feel like Tom REALLY wants to put a ring on it and have some babies. Like he’s signaling to Zendaya, you can go ahead and achieve all of your career dreams and I’ll stay home and watch the kids.
He’s absolutely adorable, as is Zendaya. I wish them only good things as they navigate fame together.
He always reminds me of Jamie Bell (makes sense since they both played Billy Elliot at different times). Just sweet British guys who seem to be genuinely kind and respectful.
I was about to say that when he talks he reminds me of Daniel Radcliffe, but now that you mentioned him, I can totally see Jamie Bell in those pictures.
I keep confusing him with Jamie Bell all the time!!
He is a sweet, sweet, young man. I am impressed with his empathy and sensitivity. Also, he is a not so great model. Was he getting face poses from Kendall Jenner?
Saw him in that (way too dark and violent; not my cup of tea) Netflix film with Rob Patterson and the all-star cast. He’s a very good actor and deserves his commercial and critical success. Zendaya is so elegant and has this unique beauty and aura; love watching her and checking out her pics. She seems to be a good actor too. (Nope, I’m not a PR poster.)