Zendaya The actress, 27, has unfollowed everyone she’d been following on Instagram, including friends, coworkers, and boyfriend Tom Holland. (Holland, 27, currently follows 315 accounts, including his girlfriend’s.)
While she didn’t explain the purge, Zendaya’s latest grid post, on Monday, featured a poster from her upcoming movie Challengers.
Zendaya opened up about her social media use in a chat with PEOPLE back in October 2021, saying she often goes quiet to give herself a mental break.
“Being on [social media] would kind of make me anxious, or I would start to overthink a little too much,” the Emmy winner shared. “[My fans] want me to … be happy and exist beyond social media.”
For others dealing with similar feelings, Zendaya advises breaks. “Take the time that you need,” she said, “and don’t compare yourself to anyone else.”
In her cover interview for Vogue Italy’s July 2022 issue, the actress said her fans are “really understanding that I’m human, even the hardcore ones, and they want me to be happy and I genuinely feel that from them,” adding, “They’re respectful of my boundaries and the things that I choose to keep a little bit more private and keep for myself.”
The Euphoria star noted that while she’s still “able to maintain a little bit of anonymity,” it’s nothing compared to her “pretty normal life” of the past: “Recently, I’ve had more of a change happening in regards to reactions when I meet people or how people interact with me daily.”
“Of course, it comes with new sets of challenges and pressures, but I’ve been doing this for a long time, and I started when I was quite young,” Zendaya told the magazine. “So thankfully I’ve had a little bit of time to ease and grow my experience in a way that wasn’t just completely an overnight change.”
“I’m always adjusting to it and trying to be grateful for it all in the end, because it means that people are resonating with the work that I’m doing, and that means a lot to me,” she added.
In her cover interview for Elle’s September 2023 issue, Zendaya was asked about public interest in her relationship with boyfriend and longtime Spider-Man costar Holland, and how her fans view them as a couple.
“Parts of my life, I accept, are going to be public,” she said. “I can’t 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,” continued the Greatest Showman actress. “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.”
