Why Zendaya Refused an On-Screen Kiss on 'Shake It Up'

the tea

| LAST UPDATE 09/09/2021

By Joyce Ballard
Zendaya Shake It Up
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin / Contributor via Getty Images

Get ready because Zendaya is spilling the tea on her time acting as Rocky Blue in Disney Channel's Shake It Up. Here are all of the details on how the role affected her notoriously private romantic life - and why our girl refused to have an on-screen kiss.

The Space Jam starlet looks dazzling as British Vogue's September cover star. But what really has us talking is what Zendaya revealed about her time as a Disney Channel star; specifically, that time producers wanted her to film an on-screen kiss. "I remember being on Shake It Up and being like, 'I'm not gonna do this," Zendaya told the fashion publication. "I'm going to kiss him on the cheek because I haven't been kissed yet so I don't want the kiss to be on camera."

Zendaya First Kiss, Boyfriend
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Setting boundaries and prioritizing her personal life? Nothing but respect for our president! But lots has happened since then and Zendaya has shared plenty of on-screen kisses (we're looking at you, Zac Efron, Hunter Shafer, etc., etc.). As the Vogue interviewer put it, the Hollywood icon has starred alongside "pretty much all of the internet's boyfriends," including Timothee Chalamet and Jacob Elordi.

Zendaya boyfriend, ex boyfriends
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But as for whether there have been any off-screen romances with these heartthrobs? Zendaya is keeping that to herself. "Yeah, I've seen those tweets," the actress noted of the internet rumors surrounding her love life. But one thing's for sure: whoever she does date has a lot of people to impress. "My dad, my brothers, it's a whole thing," the Emmy-winner said of all the loved ones who need to approve of her chosen beau. "Good luck to whoever wants to take that on."

Zendaya Tom Holland Relationship
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And, of course, we're all wondering if her Spider-man costar and rumored boyfriend Tom Holland is "taking that on." Interestingly enough, Zendaya shared these tidbits with Vogue the day before those photos of the actors making out in a car went viral. But TBH, Zendaya's too busy being a total boss to address the dating rumors (for now).

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The Euphoria actress will be gracing our screens come October 22nd for the release of HBO Max's Dune and again later this year for Spider-Man: No Way Home. But it's only a matter of time before she takes on new endeavors. "I gotta hurry up and figure out how to f***ing become a director, man," Zendaya said. "I'm trying, I'm learning every day, I really am. There's so much I want to do."