Zendaya is determined to "control" what she shares with the outside world.

The 26-year-old actress has a huge online following, including more than 180 million Instagram followers - but Zendaya feels she's still managed to retain a degree of control over her life.

The Hollywood star - who is dating her 'Spider-Man' co-star Tom Holland - told the September issue of ELLE magazine: "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."

Zendaya first found fame as a child, but interest in her personal life has spiked in recent years.

The actress - who plays Rue Bennett, a drug-addicted teenager, in the hit HBO drama series 'Euphoria' - noticed a "visceral change" in the spring of 2022, when she was filming a project in Boston.

Reflecting on her experience of fame, Zendaya said: "After the last 'Spider-Man' and the last season of 'Euphoria', there was a visceral change.

"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.'"