Zendaya & Tom Holland's Relationship Timeline
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VOICE OVER: Rebecca Brayton
WRITTEN BY: Nick Spake
From co-stars to couple, join us as we dive into the adorable love story of Zendaya and Tom Holland. Explore their journey from the Spider-Man set to red carpet romance, revealing the sweet moments that made Tomdaya one of Hollywood's most beloved relationships. We'll take you through their friendship, rumored romance, and eventual confirmation of their relationship, including their heartwarming moments on and off-screen!
Zendaya Tom Holland Relationship Timeline
Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re chronicling the relationship between Zendaya and Tom Holland.
Part One: Just Friends
When Tom Holland was cast as the MCU’s Spider-Man in June 2015, we knew more casting announcements would soon follow. Almost a year later, several other players were added to Spidey’s first standalone MCU movie. Among them was Zendaya, who director Jon Watts announced would be playing a character named Michelle. Of course, virtually everyone predicted Michelle would be this universe’s equivalent to Mary Jane Watson. Indeed, her full name was Michelle Jones-Watson, although her friends call her MJ. Shaking up the formula, MJ isn’t Peter Parker’s dream girl from the get-go. “Spider-Man: Homecoming” sees them become friends, but the audience knows romance is destined to bloom. Viewers also speculated that there might be some off-screen chemistry between the film’s stars.
Holland and Zendaya appeared on each other’s Instagram accounts leading up to the movie’s release. In November 2016, Zendaya shared their Hollywood Reporter cover, writing, “Amidst all the chaos and sadness...this one good thing did happen to me today. Honored to share it with the very best...Spider-Man himself.” Building hype for the film, the two attended the MTV Movie & TV Awards together and squared off in a Lip Sync Battle. When “Spider-Man: Homecoming” came out in July 2017, the red carpet darlings were rumored to be romantically tied. A source told People magazine, “They started seeing each other while they were filming Spider-Man.” While Holland and Zendaya were keeping the relationship private, they had reportedly taken trips together.
In separate interviews, Zendaya and Holland described each other as good friends. Yet, Zendaya was adamant that they were just friends. The two remained friendly on social media, but were rarely seen together. That is until the press tour for “Spider-Man: Far From Home” started in 2019. During this period, Holland and Zendaya had the most important encounter of their young lives: they met the WatchMojo Lady! Yeah, you all knew we’d share that clip again. While Holland proclaimed his love for WatchMojo, the verdict on his relationship with Zendaya was still out. In the sequel, Peter and MJ acknowledge their feelings for each other, sharing their first kiss. Behind the scenes, though, the will they or won’t they tension persisted.
Part Two: More Than Friends?
Gossip concerning Holland and Zendaya dwindled in 2020, as both were romantically linked to other people. Holland was reported to be involved with Olivia Bolton and Nadia Parkes[a], reportedly moving in with the latter during the pandemic. Some speculated that Zendaya was dating Jacob Elordi, the latter of whom described his “Euphoria” co-star as “like [a] sister.” A kiss implied otherwise, but whatever romance these two might’ve had ended as Elordi entered relationships with Kaia Gerber and then Olivia Jade Giannulli[b]. Tomdaya started generating rumors again when Holland shared a photo on Instagram in February 2021, tagging Zendaya over a suggestive area. Holland told British GQ that “it was obviously a mistake,” but also expressed frustration about dating someone with the whole world watching.
Holland’s privacy concerns weren’t unfounded. In July 2021, Holland and Zendaya were photographed kissing in a car not far away from where the latter’s mother lives in Los Angeles. The two tip-toed around the smooch on social media, but they were soon seen making more public appearances together, most notably attending a friend’s wedding the following August. When Zendaya turned 25 that September, Holland confirmed what many had already pieced together. On Instagram, he posted a mirror selfie. Holland was suited up as Spider-Man while Zendaya took the picture. The caption read, “My MJ, have the happiest of birthdays. Gimme a call when you’re [sp] up xxx.” Zendaya simply replied, “Calling now,” with a heart emoji.
Zendaya later called Holland “My Spider-Man,” on Instagram, adding “I’m so proud of you, some things never change and good thing.” Tomdaya was official, but the couple was still determined to keep a relatively low profile. When you’re at the forefront of a blockbuster franchise, that’s easier said than done. Holland told GQ in November, “One of the downsides of our fame is that privacy isn’t really in our control anymore.” Zendaya felt similarly, saying, “When you really love and care about somebody, some moments or things, you wish were your own.” The following month, “Spider-Man: No Way Home” hit theaters, becoming the highest-grossing film of 2021. In a strange way, the movie’s romance paralleled the real-life relationship between its two leads.
Part Three: The Mask Comes Off
Like Peter and MJ, Holland and Zendaya started as friends, but eventually discovered an even deeper bond. Just as these two kids are ready to take the next step in their relationship, the world learns that Peter is Spider-Man. In “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” Peter and MJ are as committed as ever, but they find themselves tangled in a web of new obstacles. With the public refusing to give them a moment’s peace, Peter wishes the world would forget that he’s Spider-Man. Obviously, Holland didn’t ask Doctor Strange to perform a memory spell, accidentally causing universes to collide. Like their characters, though, Holland and Zendaya could relate to being tabloid targets trying to live their lives without outside interference.
“No Way Home” ends on a downer note with everyone - including MJ - forgetting Peter is Spider-Man. It’s unclear if Peter and MJ will get a happier ending in the next “Spider-Man” movie. Thankfully, Holland and Zendaya are already living their happily ever after. The two remained supportive of each other with Zendaya attending the “Uncharted” premiere in 2022. Meanwhile, Holland championed Zendaya’s work in “Euphoria” Season 2, saying that he’d be down for making an appearance on the show. Over the following year, the couple was spotted together around the world, from Budapest, to Paris, to San Francisco. Yet, they were rarely seen on the red carpet together. With the “Spider-Man” movies taking a break, they also gave fewer joint interviews.
Holland and Zendaya would talk about each other in separate interviews, but even then, they downplayed their relationship. In summer 2023, Holland mentioned that “he “fixed [his] girlfriend’s door once.” He didn’t name-drop Zendaya, although he concluded by saying, “And now we’re in love.” In another interview, Holland stressed that he wanted to keep their relationship “as private as possible.” Zendaya feels the same, attempting to balance her private life with her celebrity status. The two continue to show support for one another online, and occasionally can be seen side by side at public events. When it comes to award shows, though, Holland prefers to let Zendaya fly solo, wanting it to be her moment rather than their moment.
Speaking of award shows, Zendaya attended the 82nd Golden Globes in January 2025. The paparazzi quickly noticed a huge diamond on her left ring finger. Not long after, news broke that Holland had proposed over the holidays. According to Dominic Holland, Tom’s father, his son was “incredibly well prepared,” asking Zendaya’s dad for permission. Dominic added, “Tom had everything planned out… When, where, how, what to say, what to wear.” That’s the most we’ve learned about the engagement. The wedding date is also unknown, although we can likely expect something on the lowkey side. Zendaya and Tom Holland might be two of the biggest names in the world, but as far as their love story goes, they just want to be a friendly neighborhood couple.
[b]Giannulli = jee-uh-NOO-lee https://youtu.be/np_xXgI-bys?si=5TvruO_2FUBb5T5Z&t=55
Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re chronicling the relationship between Zendaya and Tom Holland.
Part One: Just Friends
When Tom Holland was cast as the MCU’s Spider-Man in June 2015, we knew more casting announcements would soon follow. Almost a year later, several other players were added to Spidey’s first standalone MCU movie. Among them was Zendaya, who director Jon Watts announced would be playing a character named Michelle. Of course, virtually everyone predicted Michelle would be this universe’s equivalent to Mary Jane Watson. Indeed, her full name was Michelle Jones-Watson, although her friends call her MJ. Shaking up the formula, MJ isn’t Peter Parker’s dream girl from the get-go. “Spider-Man: Homecoming” sees them become friends, but the audience knows romance is destined to bloom. Viewers also speculated that there might be some off-screen chemistry between the film’s stars.
Holland and Zendaya appeared on each other’s Instagram accounts leading up to the movie’s release. In November 2016, Zendaya shared their Hollywood Reporter cover, writing, “Amidst all the chaos and sadness...this one good thing did happen to me today. Honored to share it with the very best...Spider-Man himself.” Building hype for the film, the two attended the MTV Movie & TV Awards together and squared off in a Lip Sync Battle. When “Spider-Man: Homecoming” came out in July 2017, the red carpet darlings were rumored to be romantically tied. A source told People magazine, “They started seeing each other while they were filming Spider-Man.” While Holland and Zendaya were keeping the relationship private, they had reportedly taken trips together.
In separate interviews, Zendaya and Holland described each other as good friends. Yet, Zendaya was adamant that they were just friends. The two remained friendly on social media, but were rarely seen together. That is until the press tour for “Spider-Man: Far From Home” started in 2019. During this period, Holland and Zendaya had the most important encounter of their young lives: they met the WatchMojo Lady! Yeah, you all knew we’d share that clip again. While Holland proclaimed his love for WatchMojo, the verdict on his relationship with Zendaya was still out. In the sequel, Peter and MJ acknowledge their feelings for each other, sharing their first kiss. Behind the scenes, though, the will they or won’t they tension persisted.
Part Two: More Than Friends?
Gossip concerning Holland and Zendaya dwindled in 2020, as both were romantically linked to other people. Holland was reported to be involved with Olivia Bolton and Nadia Parkes[a], reportedly moving in with the latter during the pandemic. Some speculated that Zendaya was dating Jacob Elordi, the latter of whom described his “Euphoria” co-star as “like [a] sister.” A kiss implied otherwise, but whatever romance these two might’ve had ended as Elordi entered relationships with Kaia Gerber and then Olivia Jade Giannulli[b]. Tomdaya started generating rumors again when Holland shared a photo on Instagram in February 2021, tagging Zendaya over a suggestive area. Holland told British GQ that “it was obviously a mistake,” but also expressed frustration about dating someone with the whole world watching.
Holland’s privacy concerns weren’t unfounded. In July 2021, Holland and Zendaya were photographed kissing in a car not far away from where the latter’s mother lives in Los Angeles. The two tip-toed around the smooch on social media, but they were soon seen making more public appearances together, most notably attending a friend’s wedding the following August. When Zendaya turned 25 that September, Holland confirmed what many had already pieced together. On Instagram, he posted a mirror selfie. Holland was suited up as Spider-Man while Zendaya took the picture. The caption read, “My MJ, have the happiest of birthdays. Gimme a call when you’re [sp] up xxx.” Zendaya simply replied, “Calling now,” with a heart emoji.
Zendaya later called Holland “My Spider-Man,” on Instagram, adding “I’m so proud of you, some things never change and good thing.” Tomdaya was official, but the couple was still determined to keep a relatively low profile. When you’re at the forefront of a blockbuster franchise, that’s easier said than done. Holland told GQ in November, “One of the downsides of our fame is that privacy isn’t really in our control anymore.” Zendaya felt similarly, saying, “When you really love and care about somebody, some moments or things, you wish were your own.” The following month, “Spider-Man: No Way Home” hit theaters, becoming the highest-grossing film of 2021. In a strange way, the movie’s romance paralleled the real-life relationship between its two leads.
Part Three: The Mask Comes Off
Like Peter and MJ, Holland and Zendaya started as friends, but eventually discovered an even deeper bond. Just as these two kids are ready to take the next step in their relationship, the world learns that Peter is Spider-Man. In “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” Peter and MJ are as committed as ever, but they find themselves tangled in a web of new obstacles. With the public refusing to give them a moment’s peace, Peter wishes the world would forget that he’s Spider-Man. Obviously, Holland didn’t ask Doctor Strange to perform a memory spell, accidentally causing universes to collide. Like their characters, though, Holland and Zendaya could relate to being tabloid targets trying to live their lives without outside interference.
“No Way Home” ends on a downer note with everyone - including MJ - forgetting Peter is Spider-Man. It’s unclear if Peter and MJ will get a happier ending in the next “Spider-Man” movie. Thankfully, Holland and Zendaya are already living their happily ever after. The two remained supportive of each other with Zendaya attending the “Uncharted” premiere in 2022. Meanwhile, Holland championed Zendaya’s work in “Euphoria” Season 2, saying that he’d be down for making an appearance on the show. Over the following year, the couple was spotted together around the world, from Budapest, to Paris, to San Francisco. Yet, they were rarely seen on the red carpet together. With the “Spider-Man” movies taking a break, they also gave fewer joint interviews.
Holland and Zendaya would talk about each other in separate interviews, but even then, they downplayed their relationship. In summer 2023, Holland mentioned that “he “fixed [his] girlfriend’s door once.” He didn’t name-drop Zendaya, although he concluded by saying, “And now we’re in love.” In another interview, Holland stressed that he wanted to keep their relationship “as private as possible.” Zendaya feels the same, attempting to balance her private life with her celebrity status. The two continue to show support for one another online, and occasionally can be seen side by side at public events. When it comes to award shows, though, Holland prefers to let Zendaya fly solo, wanting it to be her moment rather than their moment.
Speaking of award shows, Zendaya attended the 82nd Golden Globes in January 2025. The paparazzi quickly noticed a huge diamond on her left ring finger. Not long after, news broke that Holland had proposed over the holidays. According to Dominic Holland, Tom’s father, his son was “incredibly well prepared,” asking Zendaya’s dad for permission. Dominic added, “Tom had everything planned out… When, where, how, what to say, what to wear.” That’s the most we’ve learned about the engagement. The wedding date is also unknown, although we can likely expect something on the lowkey side. Zendaya and Tom Holland might be two of the biggest names in the world, but as far as their love story goes, they just want to be a friendly neighborhood couple.
What’s your favorite Tomdaya moment? Let us know in the comments.
[a]naddy-uh parks https://youtu.be/uwIX55mAUkQ?si=8kv-4HtAeqEaut98&t=23[b]Giannulli = jee-uh-NOO-lee https://youtu.be/np_xXgI-bys?si=5TvruO_2FUBb5T5Z&t=55
