Tom Holland has won over Zendaya’s “Euphoria” mom, Nika King.
The 44-year-old actress — who plays Leslie Bennett to Zendaya’s Rue in HBO’s hit drama — tells Pvnew in an exclusive interview that she is a fan of the British hunk.
“I’ve met Tom. He’s come over to her house when they have dinners and stuff like that. He’s very sweet, very nice,” King says.
“And I don’t know what the extent of their relationship [is],” the standup comic clarifies.
“But they always look happy, they always look like they’re enjoying themselves. And I’m just like, look, whenever I see love, I’m here for it.”
Holland and Zendaya, both 26, have been dating since 2017 when they co-starred in “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” him as the titular hero and her in the role of his love interest, Michelle Jones-Watson, aka MJ.
Holland is among Zendaya’s “good core of people,” King believes, that helps keep the Disney Channel alum grounded despite her insurmountable fame.
“She has a good core of people around her and I think that’s also important. She keeps her clique pretty small,” King explains.
“So she’s learned through probably the same — just like we all do — trial and error, or having different people come into your life just to say, ‘OK, this is the tribe and I trust this tribe.’”
Observing Zendaya’s star rise over the years has provided King an opportunity to reflect on her own journey in Hollywood. Though she’s been steadily working for decades — as an actress, model and comedian — the multi-hyphenate is grateful to have achieved her celebrity later in life.
“I’m glad it took as long as it did because if I would have gotten success early, I’m pretty sure I would’ve been somewhere strung out on drugs because it’ll suck you in if you don’t have a strong core or a foundation of who you are,” she says candidly.
“No one can tell me who I am because I’ve had so many years to kind of go through the, ‘Oh, my hair isn’t straight enough, oh, my nose is not [thin] enough, oh, my complexion, I need to be more ambiguous.’”
These days, King proudly shares that she is “happy just the way” she is and is no longer searching for anyone’s validation.
“All of those things don’t affect me now because I’ve been through those things,” she says of the criticism she sustained in the early days of her career, oftentimes rooted in misogyny and racism.
“I feel so much stronger and confident today because of it.”
King’s self-worth is bolstered by her philanthropic efforts. Last year, she launched Rose of Sharon, a nonprofit inspired by her mother’s battles with addiction, cancer and mental health to benefit those in the black community experiencing similar struggles.
“There are stigmas in our community surrounding all of these issues that I want to help erase,” she tells us. “I love my people.”
King also has a soft spot for children in the foster-care system after recently wrapping production on “Possum Trot,” a film about 22 families from a rural black church in Texas adopting 77 kids considered “difficult to place.”
The project compelled her to invite children of Los Angeles’ foster-care system to the March 18 screening of her new action flick, “65,” starring Adam Driver, at the TLC Chinese Theatre.
“I wanted to do a fun premiere for the kids and they become the celebrities, they walk the red carpet, they do the interviews. It was a no-brainer. I’m like, ‘We’re doing movie night with Nika,’” she says.
“I think the kids really liked it.”
