Zendaya and Tom Holland’s Relationship: A Complete Timeline
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Zendaya and Tom Holland have been at the center of romance rumors since meeting on the set of Spider-Man: Homecoming in 2016. For years, the Hollywood costars refrained from confirming or denying their relationship…until some kissing photos did the work for them in 2021.
Over three years later, the pair couldn’t appear more in love, though some recent Instagram activity sparked breakup rumors… Here’s everything you need to know about the couple’s relationship timeline, from the gossip that started it all to where they stand now.
2016
Zendaya and Tom Holland met on the set of Marvel’s Spider-Man: Homecoming. “We are like best friends. She’s so great and amazing,” Holland tells People at the time. “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
Rumors first surface thanks to the chemistry they display during the Spider-Man press tour. Though the celebs deny dating rumors, sources say they are keeping their relationship quiet. “They started seeing each other while they were filming Spider-Man,” a source tells People in July 2017. “They’ve been super careful to keep it private and out of the public eye, but they’ve gone on vacations with each other and try and spend as much time as possible with one another.”
In the same article another source claims they share a sense of humor: “They’re both really ambitious and they challenge each other, but, most importantly, they make each other crack up. They seem to have a really similar sense of humor and love joking around together. They have great banter back and forth.”
That shared sense of humor is eventually utilized to shoot down the dating rumors. “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 ???” Zendaya tweets about her Spider-Man costar, to which Holland responds, “Does the press tour count.”
2018
Holland posts a pic of Zendaya in her 2018 Met Gala ensemble, writing, “All hail the queen. Killing it mate 🙌🏻.”
2019–2020
Zendaya and her Euphoria costar Jacob Elordi spark dating rumors of their own in August 2019, when they are spotted together on vacation in Greece. They never actually confirm they are dating, but paparazzi catch Elordi giving her a kiss in New York City in February 2020. By September, however, he seems to have moved on to Kaia Gerber.
Meanwhile, Holland goes Instagram-official with girlfriend Nadia Parks on July 27, 2020, when he posts a photo of the actor on Instagram.
According to a source speaking to the Daily Mail, Parks moves in with Holland after London went into lockdown. “They made the decision to isolate together and things have been going great between them,” its source says. “Tom has told friends and family they’re in an official relationship and living together so soon into their romance has only made them stronger.”
2021
July 1, 2021: Plot twist: It looks like Holland and Parks are no more! On this important day for Zendaya and Tom Holland shippers, the pair are photographed kissing in Holland’s car while stopped at a red light in Los Angeles. According to Page Six, which shares the photos, the actors are spotted in the Silver Lake neighborhood with Zendaya’s mom, Claire Stoermer, that same day.
Fans on Twitter were undeniably excited. Not only was Zendaya trending worldwide on the app, but “Tom Holland,” “Peter,” and “#SpiderManNoWayHome” were listed as trending topics as well. “FUCKING FINALLY. TOM HOLLAND AND ZENDAYA ARE OFFICIALLY TOGETHER,” one excited user tweets. Another adds, “THIS IS NOT A DRILL. I REPEAT THIS IS NOT A DRILL.”
July 23, 2021: A source tells Us Weekly that Zendaya and Holland keep each other grounded. “They both challenge each other and balance each other out,” the source says, adding that Holland “makes her laugh,” while Zendaya ”really helps guide him through the world of celebrity.”
August 22, 2021: Tom Holland and Zendaya were photographed attending a friend’s wedding together. Zendaya wore a floor-length brown dress while Holland looked cool in a buttoned-down white dress shirt and black pants. But more important, peep their pose:
Though they may not be holding hands, Holland’s hand is definitely getting pretty close. Plus that head touch screams, “This is my date.”
September 1, 2021: In honor of Zendaya’s birthday, Tom Holland shares a mirror selfie of the couple on the Spider-Man set on Instagram. In the caption he writes in character as Peter Parker: “My MJ, have the happiest of birthdays. Gimme a call when your [sic] up xxx.” If Holland is trying to be discreet about their real-life romance by doing a birthday tribute in character as Peter Parker, it’s not working.
In what felt like an instant, “My MJ” starts trending on Twitter as fans express their excitement about the unconfirmed couple.
September 11, 2021: It took a while, but Zendaya finally posts those Venice Film Festival photos of her stunning leather Balmain dress to Instagram, and we’re not the only ones who think she looked fire. On September 11, Holland comments on the image with three flame emojis (as he should). His comment has over 53,000 likes.
October 19, 2021: Holland posts a photo of Zendaya on a red carpet to promote her movie Dune to his Instagram grid. He captioned it with the heart-eyes emoji.
October 20, 2021: In a video for BuzzFeed News, Zendaya and Dune costar Timothée Chalamet test their friendship by answering questions about each other. When Chalamet is asked who Zendaya’s “biggest crush” is, he says, “Easy, Tom Holland!”
Zendaya immediately starts giggling. Sadly, this exchange is the closest thing to a confirmation that Zendaya and Tom Holland are dating that we’ve ever gotten in the press.
November 17, 2021: In an interview with GQ, Tom Holland opened up–kind of, sort of, not really–about his relationship with Zendaya.
“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,” Holland said.
Although the world knows they’re a couple, it’s still important to Holland to keep his private life private. “I’ve always been really adamant to keep my private life private because I share so much of my life with the world anyway,” he said. “We sort of felt robbed of our privacy. I don’t think it’s about not being ready—it’s just that we didn’t want to [talk about it].”
Holland also refuses to discuss details of his relationship without Zendaya present. “You know, I respect her too much to say…this isn’t my story,” he continued. “It’s our story. And we’ll talk about what it is when we’re ready to talk about it together.”
December 5, 2021: The pair practically make heart eyes at each other on the red carpet of a London photo call for their movie Spider-Man: No Way Home. During an interview on the carpet, Holland points out Zendaya, saying, “There she is—looking beautiful, might I add.”
He also opens up about their “companionship” and how they deal with fame: “Two friends coming together, experiencing this world, going through the same problems at the same time, having a shoulder to cry on, has been a huge thing for the pair of us, and with Jacob [Batalon] as well,” he says, per BuzzFeed. “We really are a family.”
Zendaya later adds, “Sometimes you just have to be a person to vent to, someone to just be there and listen…. I was lucky enough where my life didn’t change overnight. I started when I was young, so it was kind of like a slow progression. I kind of got to learn it as I went and figure it out and get my footing a little bit, whereas for him it was so much all at once. I have an extreme amount of empathy for that, so anything that I learned or continue to learn, I share with him, and anything he learns he shares with me.”
December 13, 2021: The two attend the LA premiere of Spider-Man: No Way Home. When Zendaya arrived wearing that web-patterned gown, Holland literally paused his interview to look for her. Watch the adorable moment here.
December 15, 2021: On Instagram, Zendaya shares photos of Tom Holland dressed as Spider-Man, as an adult and as a little kid. “My Spider-Man, I’m so proud of you,” she writes in the caption. “Some things never change and good thing♥️.”
2022
January 10, 2022: In honor of Euphoria’s return, Siyon Foster posts a carousel of images to Instagram, including a snap of the cast hanging out. But standing behind Zendaya in the picture is a young person who isn’t tagged, and TikTok has decided that it’s Holland, visiting set. Aww!
January 26, 2022: Zendaya and Tom Holland continue to be the absolute cutest. This time they are photographed coupled up while on a walk in London. People reports that the two are in the UK to spend time with Holland’s family, and they are photographed side by side near his family home. See the pictures here.
February 16, 2022: The date nights continue! On February 16, Zendaya and Holland are spotted leaving the Crosby Street Hotel in Lower Manhattan on their way to a screening of Holland’s new action flick, Uncharted, in which he stars opposite Mark Wahlberg. They walk out of the hotel holding hands, showing off not only their adorable relationship but fabulous ’fits as well.
A day later, the pair are photographed wearing custom jerseys with each other’s names on the back to a hockey game.
February 18, 2022: In early February, reports surface that Zendaya and Tom Holland have moved in together. According to the Mirror, the two found a six-bedroom home about four miles from his hometown in the UK. “They are over the moon about the property and getting their first home together,” a source says, per Seventeen. “They are very much in love and wanted their first home to be in London, where Tom grew up. Everyone is thrilled for them.”
However, Holland shut down these rumors during an 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 said. “I didn’t buy a new house. I’m like, ‘Wow, what a surprise, I wonder when I’ll get the keys.’”
February 23, 2022: Holland hops on a plane for a surprise Italian date night.
April 20, 2022: Zendaya opens up about Holland’s Euphoria set visits. “I think it’s great to have that support and love around you because you need that,” Zendaya told Entertainment Tonight. “This isn’t an easy job, so it’s good to have that to free you up from it every now and then.”
June 1, 2022: Zendaya shares a sweet tribute to Holland on Instagram in honor of his birthday. “Happiest of birthdays to the one who makes me the happiest.”
July 7, 2022: The New York Post reports that Zendaya and Holland are spotted touring a $5.35 million five-bedroom, 4,400-square-foot townhouse in Brooklyn. Further reports that the pair have adopted a pit bull named Pistachio make rumors that the pair are buying property together feel even more likely.
August 8, 2022: Holland flies halfway around the world, commercial, to visit Zendaya in Budapest, where she is shooting the second part of Dune.
September 12, 2022: Holland does not attend the Emmys, but Zendaya reveals that he’s the first person she texted, publicly referring to him as her “boyfriend” for the first time.
October 10, 2022: The pair are spotted visiting The Louvre museum in Paris just after Fashion Week. Now, that’s a sophisticated day date. Later, rumors start to swirl that the two are endgame. “They’re both in settling-down mode and are absolutely planning for a real future together,” a source told Us Weekly, describing the couple’s relationship as “serious and permanent.”
2023
March 20, 2023: In a manicure video posted by nail artist Marina Dobyk, Zendaya can be seen wearing a ring that appears to be engraved with “ZH” or “TH.”
April 1, 2023: Holland and Zendaya both attend the opening of the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre in Mumbai. Though they did not pose as a couple on the red carpet, they were photographed together during the event. (For a full look at Zendaya’s stunning custom sari gown by designer Rahul Mishra, click here.)
May 4, 2023: The couple was spotted being very cute at an NBA playoffs game in San Francisco.
June 2, 2023: Zendaya celebrated Holland’s 27th birthday with some pictures shared on her Instagram Stories. She didn’t write anything in them, but she made the message clear with her emoji: one included a heart emoji, and the other, a smiley face with heart eyes emoji.
Earlier in the month Holland got a little candid about their relationship. Bear with me here, because “candid” for Zendaya and Tom Holland means something a little different than it means for other people. In an interview with the Radio Times, the actor revealed that his girlfriend “put up with a lot” during his performance on the Apple TV+ drama The Crowded Room because not only did it take him to a dark place mentally, but his hair was very long and dark. “Bless Zendaya—she had a lot to put up with, with me looking like that for 10 months,” he said. “It was rough.”
June 13, 2023: We pretty much know everything about this couple now. In an interview with Buzzfeed, Holland suggested that the reason he and Zendaya worked out romantically is because they played love interests in the Spider-Man films. Had that not been the case, the actor admits he has “limited rizz,” so would likely not have had the charm or the courage to pursue her.
June 14, 2023: Holland opens up about feeling “protective” over his relationship with Zendaya in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “Our relationship is something that we are incredibly protective of and we want to keep as sacred as possible,” he told writer Seth Abramovitch. “We don’t think that we owe it to anyone, it’s our thing, and it has nothing to do with our careers.”
That evening Zendaya and Tom Holland were spotted leaving the Soho Place theater in London after the West End production of Brokeback Mountain, a play starring Lucas Hedges and Mike Faist, who’s costarring with Z in the upcoming film Challengers.
June 16, 2023: Zendaya is photographed feeding Holland some ice cream during a walk with their dog in London. The Euphoria star wore an all-black athleisure outfit with gold jewelry and a pair of On Cloud sneakers, while the Crowded Room actor was dressed in a pink graphic T-shirt, jeans, a backward blue baseball cap, and a pair of Nike sneakers. You can see the photos here.
August 23, 2023: Zendaya explains how she navigates the public nature of her relationship, while “protecting the peace” she shares with Holland. “Parts of my life, I accept, are going to be public,” she tells Elle. “I can’t not be a person and live my life and love the person I love. But also, I do have control over what I choose to share. It’s about protecting the peace and letting things be your own but also not being afraid to exist. You can’t hide. That’s not fun, either. I am navigating it more than ever now.”
August 25, 2023: Zendaya shares a photo of Holland on her Instagram Stories from their time supporting the Hoopbus organization in her hometown of Oakland. To see her own moves, click here.
September 1, 2023: Holland returns the favor by sharing two adorable Instagram Stories snaps of Zendaya on her 27th birthday! “My birthday girl,” he captioned one photo of Zendaya on a snorkeling adventure.
Not long after, Holland shares a photo of Z walking their dogs, Noon and Tessa, which he captions with a series of heart-eye emoji.
September 4, 2023: The pair attends Beyoncé’s birthday Renaissance concert in Los Angeles. In one viral video, the Holland and Zendaya can be seen nailing the freeze challenge during Bey’s performance of “Energy.”
September 22, 2023: Zendaya shuts down engagement rumors after an Instagram Story ignites speculation. Though fans were hung up on the large pearl ring in Z’s car selfie, the actor was trying to show off a different accessory. “I can’t post anything you guys,” she faux-complained in a follow-up Instagram Story. “I posted it for my hat! Like, not for the ring on my right finger you guys! Seriously, you think that’s how I would drop the news? You think, like, what?!”
October 8, 2023: The pair are photographed during a cozy walk in London.
2024
January 4, 2024: People reports that Zendaya has unfollowed everyone on Instagram, including Tom Holland. Though she appears to be gearing up for the Challengers press tour, this leads to breakup rumors, with TMZ noting that the pair have not been photographed in public together since October. Per screenshots shared by TMZ, Holland still follows Zendaya.
January 12, 2024: Breakup rumors, schmakeup rumors. “Absolutely not,” Holland tells paparazzi when asked about the split. Meanwhile, Zendaya is spotted out in Los Angeles with Holland’s brother Austin on the same day. You can see the TMZ videos here and here.
January 14, 2024: Holland reveals that he and Zendaya regularly watch their first movie together. “Zendaya and I will, every now and then, watch Spider-Man 1 and reminisce about being 19 and making those movies again,” the actor told Extra at the Critics Choice Awards. “I love those movies, and I love savoring those moments, so I try not to watch them as often as I would maybe like to because it’s so special. It’s such a luxury, such a gift to be able to sit down and sort of relive your youth.”
He continued, “I wouldn’t be the man I am today without that job and I’m so grateful and excited for the future and what it might hold.”
February 15, 2024: The pair are photographed holding hands at the London premiere of Dune: Part Two.
February 21, 2024: Zendaya can’t help but bring up Holland while doing press for Dune. When asked who among the cast has the most “rizz,” she names herself and her boyfriend…who is not in the movie and previously described himself as having “limited rizz,” which is shorthand for charisma.
“I think someone who has beautiful charisma, not on the Dune cast, but…works for me, is Mr. Tom Holland,” Zendaya said in one Buzzfeed video. “I’m more shy and kind of quiet, so it takes a little bit more to pull me out of my shell. But he’s great at just talking to people and getting to know people. Like, you see him on talk shows and stuff like that; he’s just naturally very good at that.” She continued that while she has to “pull that out” of herself, “He’s got that natural gift.”
March 17, 2024: The couple take in some tennis at the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells Tennis Garden in California as Zendaya begins press for Challengers.
April 9, 2024: In her Vogue cover story, Zendaya praises Holland for his post-Spider-Man fame. “We were both very, very young, but my career was already kind of going, and his changed overnight,” she says. “One day you’re a kid and you’re at the pub with your friends, and then the next day you’re Spider-Man. I definitely watched his life kind of change in front of him. But he handled it really beautifully.”
April 10, 2024: Though he doesn’t join her on the red carpet, Tom Holland is spotted kissing Zendaya at the UK premiere of Challengers. He is wearing a tan suit, which complements her custom Thom Browne pleated tennis dress.
April 11, 2024: Zendaya and Holland indulge paparazzi with cheeky smiles in London. In the pic, which can be seen here, Zendaya’s hair is styled in a chic ponytail from a Challengers press event and a plaid ensemble while Holland wears a crewneck sweater and jeans.
May 23, 2024: Zendaya supports Holland as he makes his debut in the West End production of Romeo & Juliet. The previous month, Zendaya told Vogue that she “could not be more proud” of Holland, adding, “I’m going to try to see as many shows as I possibly can.”
June 6, 2024: Zendaya is spotted picking Holland up from work.
August 3, 2024: Zendaya brings Holland a bouquet of roses the evening of his final performance in Romeo & Juliet. In a fan-recorded video from earlier in the week, Zendaya was seen holding hands with Holland on their way to her car before sharing a goodbye kiss with her boyfriend. In a second video of the same interaction, TikTok user @eatandexplore01 claimed the pair had a “sneaky dinner date” before one of Holland’s shows.
October 24, 2024: Zendaya was photographed wearing a BERO hat in honor of the nonalcoholic beer company founded by Holland. Later in the evening, Holland acts as Zendaya’s bodyguard as the Euphoria star is swarmed by paparazzi outside of The Corner Bar in NYC. In a series of viral videos, Holland appears to walk ahead of Zendaya before turning around and physically pushing through a crowd of photographers that had circled around her while she signed some autographs for fans.
“His Spidey sense kicked all the way in. He do not play about her and I love it,” a fan commented on one TikTok post. Another wrote, “Oh he went through SWINGING for her. I love that.” We get it! He’s Spider-Man!
October 31, 2024: Tom Holland says he sometimes googles Zendaya to make sure she’s okay. “I’m not on socials, and I delete [the apps] when I’m not using [them],” he said during an On the Menu! appearance. “So sometimes I—it’s more of a bit of an anxiety thing—but like I’ll check, to see if everything’s good and just make sure we’re all cool.”
November 8, 2024: In a huge bit of news, Deadline announces that Zendaya has been cast alongside Holland in director Christopher Nolan’s upcoming project, which is set to be released on July 17, 2026. The film is also stars Anne Hathaway and Matt Damon.
Even better, it seems the untitled film—which is set to begin filming in early 2025—will hit theaters a week before Spider-Man 4 is released on July 24, 2026. While not much is known about Nolan’s project, Holland recently said he read the script for Spider-Man 4 with Z.
“I read it three weeks ago, and it really lit a fire in me,” he said on the Rich Roll Podcast in October. “Zendaya and I sat down and read it together, and we at times were bouncing around the living room like, ‘This is a real movie worthy of the fans’ respect.’ But there’s a few things we need to figure out before we can get that really going, but it’s exciting.”
This post will be updated.