Tom Holland & Zendaya Take on Those Gone-Viral Kissing Photos

Over the summer, Tom Holland and Zendaya were caught kissing in a car in Los Angeles.

While the two have been subject to dating rumors for years, the pictures seemed to confirm that they were more than just friends!

Now, the two are addressing those kissing pics.

In a new interview with GQ, Tom admitted, “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.”

Along with feeling “robbed of our privacy,” Tom added, “I’ve always been really adamant to keep my private life private, because I share so much of my life with the world anyway.”

When asked about being ready to go public with their relationship, Tom commented, “I don’t think it’s about not being ready. It’s just that we didn’t want to.”

Tom noted that he wouldn’t discuss details about his relationship with Zendaya without having a conversation with her. He explained, “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.”

Zendaya also shared her two cents to GQ, saying, “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.”

Zendaya kept it real, calling the gone-viral moment “quite strange and weird and confusing and invasive.”

In 2017, romance rumors were swirling about Tom and Zendaya. A source told People magazine, “They started seeing each other while they were filming ‘Spider-Man.’ They’ve been super careful to keep it private and out of the public eye but they’ve gone on vacations with each other and try and spend as much time as possible with one another.”

Another insider added, “They’re both really ambitious and they challenge each other — but, most importantly, they make each other crack up. They seem to have a really similar sense of humor and love joking around together. They have great banter back and forth.”

In response to the rumors, Zendaya tweeted, "Wait wait...my favorite is when it says we go on vacations together HA! I haven't been on a vacation in years! hbu @TomHolland1996???” Tom responded, "@Zendaya Does the press tour count.”

At the time, Tom called Zendaya his “friend,” telling People, “We are like the best of friends. She’s so great and amazing. I’m a little worried [about dealing with fame… but] Zendaya is super famous and she’s been through this and I just call her up and say, ‘How do I manage being famous?’ I’m very glad I have a friend like her.”

While Tom and Zendaya would prefer to keep their off-screen relationship to themselves, you can see their “Spider-Man” characters passionately kiss in the new trailer for “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” which hits theaters December 17.

In 2019, “Extra’s” Renee Bargh spoke to Tom at the “Spider-Man: Far from Home” premiere, where he discussed his “awkward” kissing scenes with Zendaya. He said, “It’s awkward because we’re such good mates.” Watch!