There are few Hollywood love stories as wholesome as Zendaya and Tom Holland’s.
Since they were cast as the leads of Marvel’s Spider-Man in 2016, the two have established a long and endearing friendship that ultimately has stumbled down a romantic route.
Ahead, we track everything there is to know about their ultra-private relationship—from when they met, who else they’ve dated, and what they’ve said about each other publicly.
2016: Tom Holland and Zendaya are cast as Peter Parker and MJ in Marvel’s reboot of the Spider-Man franchise.
The two are cast as the iconic comic book couple for Marvel’s reboot of the Spider-Man franchise. The first installment, Spider-Man: Homecoming, begins production in June 2016 and is released in July 2017.
Tom Holland and Zendaya attend a 2017 Spider-Man: Homecoming photo-call.Juan Naharro Gimenez//Getty Images
2017: Tom calls Zendaya his best friend.
Before the premiere of the first Spider-Man movie, Holland gushes over his admiration for Zendaya in an interview with People.
"We are like the best of friends. She’s so great and amazing," he says. "I’m a little worried [about dealing with fame … but] Zendaya is super famous and she’s been through this and I just call her up and say, ‘How do I manage being famous?’ I’m very glad I have a friend like her."
2017: They embark on a press tour for the first Spider-Man movie and deny dating rumors.
While promoting their new movie, Zendaya and Holland become subject to a whirlwind of dating rumors—all of which they vehemently deny on social media.
Responding to a tweet that suggests the costars have gone on holiday together, Zendaya writes, "Wait wait…my favorite is when it says we go on vacations together HA! I haven’t been on a vacation in years!hbu @TomHolland1996 ???"
Holland tweets back, "Does the press tour count."
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2019–20: They reportedly date other people.
In 2019, Zendaya reportedly begins dating her Euphoria costar Jacob Elordi. The two are spotted on a PDA-filled outing in New York City and later embarked on a Greece vacation together.
Zendaya and Jacob Elordi.FilmMagic//Getty Images
Meanwhile, in 2020, Holland debuts his relationship with British actress Nadia Parkes on Instagram. The two reportedly isolated together during the early days of the pandemic, a source told the Daily Mail.
July 2021: Paparazzi photos capture the two kissing in a car in Los Angeles.
Photos emerge of the Spider-Man costars and longtime friends kissing in a car while stopped at a red light. Other photos show the two of them exiting Zendaya’s mother’s house in the L.A. neighborhood of Silver Lake.
August 2021: They attend a friend’s wedding as each other’s dates.
Though they remain tight-lipped about the status of their relationship, the two are seen attending a friend’s wedding seemingly as each other’s dates. In photos taken at the event, Zendaya and Holland pose with their heads leaning against each other.
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September 2021: They seemingly make their relationship Instagram official.
For the actress’s 25th birthday, Holland posts a sweet tribute on Instagram featuring a behind-the-scenes film photo of their time on the Spider-Man set.
"My MJ, have the happiest of birthdays," he writes in the caption. "Gimme a call when your up xxx."
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October 2021: Zendaya gushes over Tom in a new interview.
Speaking with InStyle, Zendaya praises Holland’s work ethic since he’s stepped into the role of Peter Parker.
"There are many things, obviously, that I appreciate. In an actor way, I appreciate that he really loves being Spider-Man. It’s a lot of pressure—you take on the role of a superhero wherever you go. To the little kid who walks by, you are Spider-Man. I think he handled that so well," she says. "Our director allowed me to come in every day [of the shoot], and it was cool to see how he cares so much about his work and making it right. I watched him do a fight scene all day, which is exhausting. He’d do a move, come back to the monitors, watch it, and say, ‘I can do that better.’ I’d be like, ‘Dude, you got it.’ But he wants us to be perfect, and I really appreciate that."
She adds that Holland is "a fun time. Very charismatic, can make anybody feel comfortable and have a good laugh and a good chat. A good chat—I sound so British."
November 2021: Tom talks privacy in his dating life as a celebrity.
In an interview, Holland reflects on the paparazzi photos that captured him and Zendaya kissing in a car over the summer.
"One of the downsides of our fame is that privacy isn’t really in our control anymore, and a moment that you think is between two people that love each other very much is now a moment that is shared with the entire world," he tells GQ. "I’ve always been really adamant to keep my private life private, because I share so much of my life with the world anyway. We sort of felt robbed of our privacy."
He also says he can’t speak on their relationship without Zendaya next to him. "It’s not a conversation that I can have without her," he continues. "You know, I respect her too much to say … This isn’t my story. It’s our story. And we’ll talk about what it is when we’re ready to talk about it together."
Zendaya echoes her boyfriend’s sentiments. "It was quite strange and weird and confusing and invasive. The equal sentiment [we both share] is just that when you really love and care about somebody, some moments or things, you wish were your own," she tells the magazine. "I think loving someone is a sacred thing and a special thing and something that you want to deal with and go through and experience and enjoy amongst the two people that love each other."
Winter 2021: They make multiple fashionable appearances together while promoting the last Spider-Man movie.
While promoting the third installment of their Marvel franchise, Spider-Man: No Way Home, the couple makes headlines for their various fashionable red-carpet appearances together.
Zendaya wears outfits that seem to pay homage to the iconic comic series, from a custom Valentino Haute Couture gown with embroidered cobwebs to a dazzling Alexander McQueen ensemble with crystal spiderweb stockings.
Getty Images
Getty Images
February 2022: Tom denies reports that they bought a house together.
The actor sets the record straight during a guest appearance on Live with Kelly and Ryan.
"I’ve had so many people call me up because, apparently, I bought a new house in South London? Which is completely false!" Holland says of the rumors. "I didn’t buy a new house. I’m like, ‘Wow, what a surprise, I wonder when I’ll get the keys.’"
August 2022: Tom flies more than 4,000 miles to hang out with Zendaya in Budapest.
Holland reportedly flies from New York City, where he’s currently filming The Crowded Room, to Budapest, where Zendaya is filming the Dune sequel—ultimately clocking in more than 4,000 miles just to visit his girlfriend.
He is spotted knitting while aboard his commercial flight. Later, Holland and Zendaya are seen sightseeing in the city, according to footage captured by a fan. In the video, Zendaya looks stylish in an all-black outfit, composed of a racer-back tank top, pleated trousers, and loafers. Meanwhile, the Cherry actor looks casual in a navy blue T-shirt, jeans, and gray Nike sneakers.
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September 3, 2022: They celebrate Zendaya’s birthday.
For her 26th birthday, the Dune actress was spotted enjoying a celebratory dinner at MAMO Italian Restaurant in NYC’s SoHo neighborhood, accompanied by her boyfriend Tom Holland, her mother, Claire Stoermer, and her Euphoria co-star Hunter Schafer.
December 1, 2022: Zendaya’s mom addresses recent engagement rumors.
After the pop culture page, Pop Hive, tweeted over the weekend that the pair got engaged in secret, Zendaya’s mother, Claire Stoermer, takes to her Instagram Stories to subtly clear the air. She shares a simple screenshot of CoSchedule’s dictionary definition of clickbait, which reads, "Clickbait typically refers to the practice of writing sensationalized or misleading headlines in order to attract clicks on a piece of content. It often relies on exaggerating claims or leaving out key information in order to encourage traffic. The term is generally used in a dismissive sense."
Neither Zendaya nor Holland have addressed these rumors.
