Zendaya Struggles With ‘Negative Side’ of Fame: How Tom Holland Helps Her ‘Find Peace’

During a sheet astatine a screening of Dune: Part Two successful NYC connected September 22, Zendaya admitted she mightiness not beryllium “cut out” for nan life of a celebrity. “I emotion doing nan work, I emotion being connected set…but I americium terrified of that [fame] portion of it,” she said. “I was a awkward kid, ever person been, and truthful this portion isn’t natural…. Some people…they bask nan powerfulness that comes from it, and I don’t cognize if that’s for me.”

Whether aliases not she wants it, nan two-time Emmy winner, 28, has been successful nan nationalist oculus since she was a tween connected Disney Channel’s Shake It Up. “In a batch of ways, Zendaya says she’s not who group deliberation she is,” an insider exclusively tells Life & Style. “She whitethorn task assurance on-screen and connected reddish carpets, but Zendaya has really struggled pinch nan antagonistic broadside of being successful nan spotlight, particularly pinch losing her privacy. That’s thing she’s had to travel to position with.”

One of nan ways she copes is by dressing nan part. The Greatest Showman actress, who is simply a staple connected “best dressed” lists, calls manner her “armor to dress to spell retired and do nan job.”

She’s besides sewage awesome support from fellow Tom Holland, 28. “Zendaya doesn’t want to kick excessively much, it’s conscionable that she does person regrets astir really immoderate things person played out,” notes nan insider. “As a kid character himself, Tom has knowledgeable a batch of nan aforesaid things, though, truthful he tin wholly relate. She really credits him pinch helping her find bid amid nan show-business chaos.”

The duo met connected nan group of 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming. When they were first photographed smooching successful 2021? Both Zendaya and Tom felt “violated,” she has said. “Some moments aliases things, you wish were your own.”

Still, she has learned to find spot wherever she can. “I do person power complete what I take to share,” Zendaya explained to Elle. “It’s astir protecting nan bid and letting things beryllium your own, but besides not being acrophobic to exist.”

In nan past, it was because of others’ expectations that Zendaya felt she missed retired connected experiences for illustration attending a accepted precocious school. “I’m very tense, and I deliberation that I transportation that from being a kid and ne'er really having an opportunity to conscionable effort s–t,” she told Vogue. “I’m almost going done my angsty teen shape now, because I didn’t really person nan clip to do it before…. I was thrust into a very big position: I was becoming nan bread-winner of my family very early, and location was a batch of role-reversal.”

Now that she is an adult, Zendaya has been sifting done her puerility and deciding what’s next. That includes much mature roles, for illustration her recent flick Challengers, but besides increasing herself. As she told nan NYC panel: “I would for illustration to beryllium a personification and for group to spot maine arsenic that first.”