Why Holland Googles Zendaya

Star looks up girlfriend online to quell anxiety

What was the last thing you Googled? For Spider-Man star Tom Holland, the answer is simple: Zendaya. Yes, the Hollywood heartthrob may not be on social media, but that does not preclude him from using the powers of the internet to check how his A-lister co-star and girlfriend is doing.

"The last thing I Googled was actually Zendaya," Holland admitted in conversation with Sama Dada's On The Menu podcast. "I'm not on [social media], and I delete it when I'm not using it."

If he is not on social media, why does Holland gravitate towards the internet to check what the world is saying about his girlfriend? Answer: to quell anxiety and assuage any underlying fears. As per The Hollywood Reporter, Holland explained, "So, sometimes, like, it's more of a bit of an anxiety thing, but I'll check to see if everything's good and to make sure we're all cool. I just give her a little Google and look [through] the news, and I'm like, 'She's good. We're fine.'"

Holland and Zendaya confirmed their relationship in 2021, ending months of speculation. The couple met on the set of Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), which sees Holland playing the titular hero and Zendaya playing his love interest, MJ. Both Holland and Zendaya reprised their roles in the sequels Spider-Man: Far from Home (2019) and Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021). As reported by Digital Spy, both actors are set to return for Spider-Man 4, which is currently in development.

Holland and Zendaya may both be an active force in the film industry, but as Holland's anti-social media stance has shown, they are keen to keep their relationship. As Holland explained to The Hollywood Reporter in a previous interview, "Our relationship is something that we are incredibly protective of, and we want to keep as sacred as possible. We don't think that we owe it to anyone, it's our thing, and it has nothing to do with our careers."

This desire to maintain privacy is one Holland and Zendaya both share. In an earlier interview with Elle, Zendaya remarked, "Parts of my life, I accept, are going to be public [...] but also, I do have control over what I choose to share. It's about protecting the peace and letting things be your own, but also not being afraid to exist. You can't hide. That's not fun, either. I am navigating it more than ever now."

One thing is clear: the next time Holland looks up Zendaya, he will be treated to multiple written accounts of why he Googles her.