John David Washington has made a name for himself in the entertainment industry. He recently started acting, but he has garnered many fans and followers with his charismatic personality and skills.

Similarly, he has been critically acclaimed for his acting skills and nominated for various awards. Yet, he has not let the shadows of his father, Denzel Washington, affect him when it comes to his career.

But the same cannot be said for his relationship and love life. John does not have a girlfriend, and his father, unintentionally, has a huge role to play.

John David Washington and His Girlfriend

It is not that John never had a girlfriend. He explained his love life when he was on The Breakfast Club in July 2016.

He had been in two relationships, but both failed because of his paranoia. Being the son of the iconic actor, Denzel came with many challenges.

John David Washington and his father, Denzel Washington, when they were young

John David Washington and his father, Denzel Washington, when they were young. (Source: Instagram)

One of them was how Denzel's fame made it difficult for John to have a partner and pursue a relationship. Similarly, John said it was "tricky" to make friends and make authentic relationships. 

He confessed he had trust issues with both his girlfriends. As a result, he was paranoid while dating them and, in the end, sabotaged his relationships. 

This is not the only time John opened up about not having a girlfriend. In September 2016, John appeared on The Steve Harvey Show and revealed how he has trust issues.

Confirming he was single, he said it was "hard out there" for him. John believed that anyone who approached him for a romantic relationship was because of Denzel.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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He confessed he used to lie about Denzel's occupation, often picking the "characters that he actually did in movies."John pretended that those characters were real and simply went with it.

Similarly, in 2018, John told Ellen DeGeneres that he was "single AF" on her show. He revealed he was taking his mother, Pauletta Washington, as his date for Oscars 2018 since he did not have a partner. 

Since then, John has not revealed if he has a girlfriend or if he is dating anyone.

Was Zendaya John David Washington's Girlfriend?

Zendaya is currently dating her Spider-Man: No Way Home co-star Tom Holland. But once, it was rumored that she was dating John.

The two starred together in the Netflix film Malcolm & Marie, where they portrayed a couple. John played the role of Malcom, a film director, and Zendaya was his girlfriend.

The movie follows a turbulent relationship between the two as they rethink their future together. The chemistry between the two was undeniably strong, so many wondered if they were dating in real life. 

They both denied the relationship and said they were merely acting for the movie. Moreover, the duo faced backlash for their 12 year age gap.

Zendaya defended her and John by reminding people she is not a 16-year-old Disney star anymore. Instead, she said that she had grown up and evolved so that she could play someone her age. 

John also echoed his co-star and said he was not concerned about the age gap since "she is a woman." He told Variety, "People are going to see in this film how much of a woman she is."

Now, the two have moved on with their careers and allegedly remain good friends.