They are known for being notoriously private about their relationship after first being linked together in 2017.

And Zendaya has opened up about why she keeps her relationship with boyfriend Tom Holland to herself in an interview with US ELLE which was released on Wednesday.

The American actress, 26, said she has ‘accepted’ that parts of her life are going to be public but has realised she ‘has got control over what she shares’.

She admitted she is no longer ‘afraid to exist’ but likes to ‘protect’ her relationship with her partner, 27.

While posing for the publication’s September issue, the cover girl gave a rare insight into their romance.

Loved-up: Zendaya has opened up about why she keeps her relationship with boyfriend Tom Holland private in an interview with US ELLE which was released on Wednesday, (pictured together in December 2021)

Opening up: The American actress, 26, told the publication she has ‘accepted’ that parts of her life are going to be public but has realised she ‘has got control over what she shares’

She said: ‘Parts of my life, I accept, are going to be public.

‘I can’t not be a person and live my life and love the person I love. 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.’

Tom and Zendaya have kept their romance low-key since they were first linked in 2017 after starring opposite one another in the Spider-Man franchise.

But they did famously appear together on Lip Sync Battle in 2017, with Tom performing as Rihanna and Zendaya performing as Bruno Mars.

Despite how private they are, Tom recently gushed over his relationship with Zendaya and told how he is ‘lucky’ to have her in his life.

The Marvel star sweetly described their relationship as ‘worth its weight in gold’ as he spoke about how they can share their life and work experiences with each other.

Speaking on the SmartLess podcast, he gushed: ‘I’m lucky that I have someone like Zendaya in my life.’

‘It’s interesting being in a romantic relationship with someone that is in the same boat as you,’ he went on, according to Entertainment Tonight.

Private: She admitted she is no longer ‘afraid to exist’ but likes to ‘protect’ her relationship with her Spider-Man actor beau, 27

‘You can’t hide. That’s not fun. I am navigating it more than ever now’: While posing for ELLE’s September 2023 issue, the covergirl gave a rare insight into their relationship

‘You can share your experiences and all that sort of stuff. And that’s worth its weight in gold.’

And the pair sent fans wild last month when they were spotted serenading each other at Beyonce’s concert in Warsaw in an adorable moment caught on camera.

As Beyonce belted out her hit single, Love On Top, the lovebirds couldn’t resist singing along, pointing and dancing at one another.

In June last year, Zendaya put an end to rumours that she was pregnant with her first child, after a TikTok prank went viral.

The video featured a fake sonogram photo that was photoshopped to look as if the Primetime Emmy Award winner had posted it herself.

The star took to her Instagram Stories to set the story straight, complaining that people are ‘just making stuff up for no reason’.

Last June, Zendaya also gushed over her boyfriend Tom in a special birthday message for the Spider-Man star shared to her Instagram.

To celebrate the actor turning 26, she posted a classic black and white snap of the pair embracing together, with a touching caption underneath.

‘Happiest of birthdays to the one who makes me the happiest,’ she wrote with a heart symbol.

Less than an hour later, Tom responded to the post leaving three heart emojis below it.

The stars met when they were cast in the Spider-Man reboot, with Tom landing the role of Peter Parker/Spiderman, while Zendaya got the role of his love interest MJ.

She said: ‘Parts of my life, I accept, are going to be public. I can’t not be a person and live my life and love the person I love. But also, I do have control over what I choose to share’

Wow! Despite the couple keeping their romance low-key, they did famously appear together on Lip Sync Battle in 2017, with Tom performing as Rihanna and Zendaya performing as Bruno Mars (pictured)

Fans long suspected that Tom and Zendaya were in a relationship but their theories were confirmed when the pair were caught kissing in mid-2021.

Zendaya made it clear that the couple were not dating in August 2017, calling Tom one of her ‘best friends’.

‘We are friends. He’s a great dude. He’s literally one of my best friends,’ she said.

Tom then shut down reports that he was dating Zendaya in June 2019, after the couple’s onscreen chemistry made fans hopeful that the sparks were real.

In an interview by ELLE conducted back then, he confirmed that he and the former Disney star are definitely not in a relationship.

He said that while he’s not currently dating anyone, he is ‘definitely a relationship person’. I’m not the fleeting type at all; it’s not my way of life,’ he told the magazine.

However, Zendaya and Tom shared their first kiss and finally confirmed they were an item on July 1, 2021.

The couple were spotted passionately kissing in his car during a Los Angeles outing, with the actor gently holding Zendaya’s face as he leaned over from the driver’s seat of his Audi and locked lips with his girlfriend.

The duo have shown affection for one another on social media since going public with their romance two years ago.

READ MORE: Tom Holland and Zendaya: Inside the Hollywood couple’s relationship timeline

Tom and Zendaya built their romance on the foundation of friendship, after starring together as iconic couple Peter Parker and MJ in Spider-Man: Homecoming.

The British actor, 26, and the Euphoria star, 25, played coy and laughed off the relationship rumors circulating them for years, after the couple’s onscreen chemistry made fans hopeful that the sparks were real.

However, when the dynamic duo were spotted sharing a kiss in Tom’s car in July of 2021, it was all but confirmed that the young couple’s friendship had blossomed into something more.

Read more about the timeline of the couple’s relationship here.