Zendaya Says Her Level of Fame Has Stopped Her From Going to Bars With Friends

In the last few years — and in the age of some of her biggest projects, like Euphoria, Dune, and Spider-Man — Zendaya has blown up into a megawatt star and a household name. And while that level of fame seems fun and glamorous, it comes with it's own unique set of drawbacks: like not being able to leave the house without being swarmed. While she was filming her upcoming film Challengers in Boston, Zendaya said that she noticed a change in what she was able to get away with doing.

“After the last Spider-Man and the last season of Euphoria, there was a visceral change,” Zendaya told Elle for its September issue. “Before, I could get away with going places and getting in and out. But in Boston, I would end up going right back home, because it was really overstimulating. Everybody would go hang out at a bar or something, and I’d be like, ‘I’d love to, but I think I could ruin everybody’s night. Because it’s just not going to be fun once I’m there.’"

She went on to explain that even the most mundane everyday tasks, like checking out at the store or taking her dog for a walk, have become challenging and end in her being photographed by fans and paparazzi.

“I had this idea of, like, I can walk around Venice. No, I can’t,” she said. “I had to pick up his poo, and I was like, Lord, please, don’t take a picture of me picking up my dog’s shit. There’s a picture of me holding the bag, but thankfully they spared the grabbing and the putting it in the bag part.”

And, of course, her relationship with her Spider-Man co-star Tom Holland is no exception. The public seems to feel entitled to every detail of their personal lives, a fact that Zendaya has come to accept. Although she still feels protective over some aspects, she also insists on living her life and refuses to hide away.

“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," she said, referring to Holland. "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.”