In 2026, Tom Holland and Zendaya star in a pair of Hollywood tentpoles, with July’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day being the latest in Sony’s franchise anchor before being featured in Dune 3, which does battle with Avengers: Doomsday in December. It’s an important moment for their relationship, which seemingly began over a decade ago while they were working on the first film in Sony’s aforementioned Spider-Man franchise, 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Before the release of that film, fans and Hollywood insiders had been shipping this couple, born months apart and taking over Hollywood around the same time, Holland as Spider-Man and Zendaya (primarily) for her award-winning work as Rue in HBO’s Euphoria. Two of the hottest young Hollywood actors being dope and in a relationship? It’s the Hollywood meet-cute that fans dream of but rarely get to see materialize, which is part of why people have followed Zendaya and Holland’s relationship for so long, from the Spider-Man set to, allegedly, a whole marriage.
Just recently, Holland dropped another big hint on his wedding with Zendaya (which her stylist Law Roach already confirmed), saying that his family wasn’t duped by AI images of their wedding, “because they were all there.” For anyone confused on how we got here, or wanting to break down Zendaya and Tom Holland’s journey from castmates to…married(?), here Zendaya and Tom Holland’s relationship timeline, explained.
Zendaya appears on Tom Holland’s Instagram for the first time
When: July 10, 2016
While likely not the first time they hung out, July 10, 2016, was the first time Zendaya showed up on Tom Holland’s Instagram page. A shot of Tom and Z in a pool with another woman the summer of 2016, which would have been in the midst of production on 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming, the first film they were in together.
Tom Holland appears on Zendaya’s Instagram for the first time
When: November 9, 2016
“Amidst all the chaos and sadness,” Z wrote in a caption sharing the Hollywood Reporter cover that they shared for Spider-Man: Homecoming, “this one good thing did happen to me today. Honored to share it with the very best,” she also wrote before throwing in Holland’s IG handle. It felt like a declaration of, well, something.
Spider-Man: Homecoming press run breeds relationship rumors
When: July 2017
With Homecoming hitting theaters July 7, 2017, Zendaya and Tom were everywhere, from their viral Lip Sync Battle appearance featuring a moment of on-stage grinding to the tabloids, it felt like everyone was shipping Z and Tom. "They started seeing each other while they were filming Spider-Man," People wrote in its July 13, 2017 issue. "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." Folks could see the obvious electricity between these two, but again, nothing was confirmed by them, until…
Tom Holland and Zendaya say they are “friends”
When: August 8, 2017
After poking fun at the tabloid rumors about their relationship, Holland spoke with People, saying they were “the best of friends.” Zendaya said basically the same thing, telling Variety in August 2017 that Tom is “a great dude. He’s literally one of my best friends. This past how many months, we’ve had to do press tours together. There’s very few people that will understand what that’s like at 20 years old.” She did let Entertainment Tonight know that, when it came to dating rumors, she wasn’t surprised.
“It happens all the time, and of course we expected it,” Zendaya said. “I mean, it comes with the territory. It comes with the job, so it’s all good.”
Tom Holland reportedly dined with Zendaya’s family
When: December 2017
With talk of dating still a tabloid mystery, Us Weekly reported that Holland was spotted in New York City sharing a meal with Z and her parents, apparently celebrating the premiere of Z’s The Greatest Showman. “Tom has met Zendaya’s family and they love him,” someone told the tabloid. “They are still seeing each other, it’s been about a year.”
“All hail the queen”
When: May 8, 2018
When Zendaya showed up to the 2018 Met Gala dressed as Joan of Arc, Holland shared an image on Instagram with the following caption: “All hail the queen. Killing it mate 🙌🏻”
Tom Holland’s interesting IG tag placement
When: May 9, 2019
Always remember: if it’s posted on the Internet, assume someone’s already screengrabbed it. On May 9, 2019, after sharing a photo with Spider-Man co-stars Zendaya and Jacob Batalon, Holland found a rather, um, tag Zendaya’s Instagram tag on the photo. Zendaya shared the image—with the tags—on her own page, writing, “I’m assuming because you don’t know how to work ig, that’s the reasoning behind my name placement” followed by like five crying laughing emojis, later calling him “Instagram stupid” on Twitter.
Holland later addressed the situation in April 2021, telling British GQ that “it was obviously a mistake. But in all seriousness, it is also incredibly frustrating. It’s very nerve-racking.”
It sounds like he learned a lesson, explaining further that, “if you are dating someone, you have to be really conscious of their feelings, because if something does happen between the two of you, it’s not just happening between the two of you, it’s happening in front of the entire world. And it can be very complicated. It’s one of the things I worry about most, of all the things in my career.”
Their first on-screen kiss
When: July 2, 2019
We will just go based on the Spider-Man: Far From Home release date on this one, where Peter and MJ share a kiss on a bridge in the middle of a bunch of rubble after catching up on each other’s exploits. Dope moment to have for them, seeing as their relationship had started a few years prior, working on this very franchise.
Late-night Thai meal
When: July 2021
For almost two years, talk of Zendaya and Holland dating had died down, primarily due to rumors that Zendaya was dating Euphoria co-star Jacob Elordi while Holland was linked to actress Nadia Parkes. Any talk of them being with others was quelled, however, when photos of Z and Tom Holland making out in a car after having a meal at a Thai spot in Los Angeles were released.
Instagram official
When: September 2021
Holland shared a birthday message on his Instagram with a photo of him, in his Spider-Man suit, that appears to have been taken by Zendaya. “My MJ, have the happiest of birthdays,” Holland wrote. “Gimme a call when your up xxx.” Hours later, Zendaya replied, “Calling now♥️,” on the post.
“Yeah, he’s a fun time”
When: October 2021
During a conversation with InStyle, featuring Z sharing her thoughts on Holland’s passion as an actor, she made a quick aside about Tom. “Yeah, he’s a fun time,” Z said. “Very charismatic, can make anybody feel comfortable and have a good laugh and a good chat. A good chat—I sound so British.”
“Privacy really isn’t in our control”
When: November 2021
In speaking about his relationship with Zendaya, Holland explained to GQ that, "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.” Sounds like the bulk of their relationship thus far. "I think loving someone is a sacred thing and a special thing,” Holland continued, calling it “something that you want to deal with and go through and experience and enjoy amongst the two people that love each other."
“My Spider-Man”
When: December 15, 2021
When sharing two photos of Holland as Spider-Man—one behind the scenes, with Holland suspended by cables, the other of Holland as a child—Zendaya wrote, “My Spider-Man, I’m so proud of you, some things never change and good thing♥️”
Zendaya says Tom Holland would visit the Euphoria set
When: January 2022
During Euphoria Season 2 press, Zendaya shared that Holland would visit the set on a regular basis, joking that they may need to give him a role. “He keeps talking about it,” she said. “Maybe we can get him in the background of a shot eventually, but he definitely came by.” That same month, Z and Tom were spotted in London.
The next month, Holland confirmed that he would visit the Euphoria set during an interview with BuzzFeed. "I would be in Euphoria. I think I would be a really good Maddy," he joked. "I'm a big Euphoria fan. I love the show, and I love Season 2. I visited a lot while they were shooting it and I really, really enjoyed it."
Zendaya told Entertainment Tonight that Holland played a vital role during Euphoria production, sharing that "it's great to have that support and love around you, because you need that.” Having a partner like Holland was important to help Zendaya detach from "the dark moments as Rue."
Tom Holland and Zendaya attend the Uncharted premiere
When: February 16, 2022
For anyone still doubting their relationship, Holland and Zendaya were spotted hand-in-hand for the premiere of Holland’s Uncharted.
“Happiest of birthdays to the one who makes me the happiest <3”
When: June 1, 2022
Z has the best captions; she shared that with a photo of her and Holland on his 26th birthday. The following September, they were spotted in New York City celebrating Z’s 26th birthday.
Attending the NBA Playoffs
When: May 4, 2023
Months after fans peeped Z wearing a ring with Holland’s initials on it in a manicure video, in Mumbai, and at a Usher concert, the couple was in San Francisco to see the Warriors defeat the Lakers.
Tom Holland: “I’m happy and in love”
When: June 13, 2023
To be fair, for someone who worries about privacy, Holland does a lot of press where he’s the one serving tea…on his own relationship. During another conversation with BuzzFeed, Holland kept it 100, breaking down how, if he doesn’t have rizz, he can still get into a relationship, and likely how he linked with Z.
“I have no rizz whatsoever,” Holland admits. “I need you to fall in love with me, really, for it to work. So, long game. Probably making a movie with each other—it definitely helps when the characters you’re playing are falling in love with one another, you can sort of blur the lines a little bit. That’s kind of where my rizz is at. And, you know, I’m locked up. So I’m happy and in love, so I’ve got no need for rizz.”
Weeks later, the couple was spotting singing “Love on Top” at a Beyoncé concert.
In February 2024, Z commented on Tom’s “rizz” during her own BuzzFeed interview, saying that she thinks that “someone who has beautiful charisma, not on the Dune cast, but personally works for me, is Mr. Tom Holland. I’m more shy and kind of quiet. So it takes a bit more to pull me out of my shell. But he’s great at just talking to people, getting to know people.”
"the thing I keep most sacred”
When: July 12, 2023
Holland opened up to Jay Shetty, saying that he feels “lucky that I have someone like Zendaya in my life. It’s interesting being in a romantic relationship with someone that is in the same boat as you. You can share your experiences and all that sort of stuff—and that’s worth its weight in gold.”
He later called his relationship with Zendaya “the thing I keep most sacred.”
“I don’t talk about it,” Holland explains. “I try my best to keep it as private as possible. We both feel very strongly that that is the healthiest way to move on as a couple.”
A month later, Zendaya shared similar sentiments with Elle. “I can’t not be a person and live my life and love the person I love," she said. "You can’t hide. That’s not fun either. I am navigating it more than ever now.”
Zendaya refers to Tom Holland as “my boyfriend”
When: February 2024
Zendaya had a great response while being interviewed in the U.K.; when asked what she’d like to bring back home, Z said, “My boyfriend. I would just take him with me.”
Tom Holland, low-key photographer
When: March 2024
While taking in the Men’s Final of the BNP Paribas Open, Tom made sure to snap some photos of Z while she was unaware, to the delight of the internet.
The Challengers premiere kiss
When: April 2024
At the UK premiere for Zendaya’s Challengers, video was taken of Z and Tom sharing a kiss.
That same month, Zendaya was on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, explaining when she first started to feel a way about Tom. “Tom and I were rushing to a spin class—with my mother,” she explained. “I was not going to do the spin class, he was going to do the spin class. ’Cause I don't do that...But, we were going a little fast, we were running late. And they recognized that he was Spider-Man and, uh, we were fine. We got our warning and everything was okay.”
Because the internet, this is apparently a clip of the spin class in question.
Tom Holland takes “huge pride in fixing” things for Zendaya
When: October 2024
On a Rich Roll podcast appearance, Holland shared that he learned carpentry from his late grandfather, and that one of his favorite things is to fix things around Zendaya’s spot. "If something breaks in Zendaya's house, I take huge pride in fixing it." That’s some real couple shit.
Later that month, Zendaya was seen with Tom Holland, supporting the launch of his non-alcoholic beer line, Bero. (Fun fact: Holland said he created the Bero Shandy line for Z, who is not normally a beer drinker.)
Zendaya engagement ring rumors
When: January 5, 2025
While on the Golden Globes red carpet, Zendaya had on a ring from the UK-based jeweler Jessica McCormack that people suspected were an engagement ring (she also had a new “T” tattoo that many figured was a tribute to Holland). TMZ was confirming their engagement the next day. “Our sources say Tom and Zendaya haven't started planning their wedding yet,” TMZ wrote, saying that “they've both got a lot of Hollywood projects and commitments coming up, so we're told it will be a bit before they dip into wedding planning.”
"He's always been crazy about her. He always knew she was the one. They have something very special," a source told People. "They will just enjoy things for now and won't rush a wedding. They are both busy with work projects."
Zendaya’s stylist Law Roach said just as much the following April: after confirming that he’d be working on Z’s dress, he said that a wedding would be far away. “They're both making a bunch of movies this year and there's a lot of premieres next year so you'll see a lot of red carpets. I'm resting up for 2026. But the wedding, you know...”
“Fiancée”
When: September 2025
This one is brief, but a clip of a panel moderator calling Zendaya Tom’s “girlfriend” went viral after Tom corrected the moderator by simply saying “fiancée.”
“The wedding has already happened—you missed it!”
When: March 2026
To the shock of the entire Tom Holland-Zendaya watching internet, Law Roach returned to drop a truth bomb, that their wedding had already taken place! “The wedding has already happened—you missed it!” he said. “It’s very true.” Was it promo for Zendaya’s A24 film The Drama? No one was sure, but Tom Holland was spotted attending a screening one of 2026’s best movies (so far).
Tom Holland and Law Roach speak on AI-generated wedding photos
When: June 2026
In a cover story for Esquire UK, Holland was asked if his family was confused by the AI images fans were making of his wedding. “No, because they were all there,” Holland said, adding, “that’s all you’ll get on that.” Later, Holland did go on to say, “I found my person. She’s my best friend, and I’m the happiest I ever have been when I’m with her, but I also have never felt so supported and safe, ever. Period.”
Roach, who first worked with Zendaya during The Greatest Showman, was asked about the AI images while on Good Morning America, simply saying, "that dress was not good enough,” before bursting into laughter. Later, Roach let it be known that "the dress is better than that."
