Cara Delevingne explains why she kept romance with Ashley Benson a secret: 'It's sacred'

Cara Delevingne and Ashley Benson are officially a Hollywood item, with Delevingne recently opening up about their relationship in interviews following months of speculation that the two were dating.

In a new interview with Elle UK, Delevingne gushed that she's "just better when I’m in love" and "it just feels incredible when you’re not alone, when you’re facing the world with someone else."

The 27-year-old actress/model also explained why the duo played coy about their relationship status.

"Because it’s sacred," she said. "I get why people care so much, and I don’t want to be so secretive that people think I’m ashamed of anything. But I’ve never been in a relationship where things are so public, or where I posted pictures of someone else."

She added: "This seemed different. We had gotten to the point where we had kept it a secret, or at least not wanted attention, and now I feel like I’m not going to not be proud. Which isn’t the same thing as wanting to pose on a red carpet together, either. People make their own assumptions and that’s what worried me. Because if it is something that is so good, you don’t ever want anyone to ever change it, even though people shouldn’t have that power."

More: Cara Delevingne opens up about 'authentic and natural' relationship with Ashley Benson

Benson, 29, met Delevingne on the set of the movie "Her Smell" in 2018.

“We weren’t looking for it,” Delevingne told Marie Claire about their relationship. "It was really just very authentic and natural.”

In June, Delevingne attended the Trevor Project's TrevorLIVE Gala in New York with Benson and seemed to reference her when she took the stage to accept the Trevor Project Hero Award.

"I also have another very special woman in this room to thank and you know who you are. She’s one of the people who helped me love myself when I needed it most, and I really needed it," she said. "She showed me what real love is and showed me how to accept it, which was a lot harder than I thought."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cara Delevingne, Ashley Benson kept 'sacred' relationship a secret