The Zendaya boyfriend rumor mill started up with Jackson after she appeared in the music video for his 2013 track "Like We Grown" and played his love interest. Later, Jackson appeared in the pilot episode of Zendaya's Disney Channel show "K.C. Undercover." The two insisted that their chemistry was merely platonic and at Jackson's 18th birthday celebration in 2014, Zendaya addressed the rumors head-on, denying anything more than a close friendship.
"There's going to be those [rumors]," she told HipHollywood at the event (via Us Weekly). "But he's my best friend in the whole world. I love him to death . . . That's all it is." Trevor also addressed the dating rumors and shared, "We be laughing every time we hear it. I can understand why people think that because we are really close. But, no, she's just my friend."
Zendaya later opened up about having a secret boyfriend for four years in an interview with Vogue back in 2017. She never named Jackson, but many speculated he was the mystery man she was referring to when she said, "It was my first love."
