When it was reported that Tom Holland and Zendaya were officially definitely dating, it was long-awaited and joyous news to their fans, who have pretty much been rooting for them since 2016 (aka when they first bonded/showed the world their unmissable chemistry while filming Spider-Man: Homecoming). Now, after 10 years of shipping these two, I’m trying to figure out whether they’re actually married or not.
If you need some help sorting out the details of their relationship, you are not alone and that’s totally fair—the couple has made a point of keeping things pretty low-key, making it tough to pin down *exactly* when they took the leap from just amazing friends who everyone not-so-secretly shipped to a bona fide couple. But don’t worry—I did some digging to put their full relationship timeline together.
Side note: For those desperate for new red carpet pics of these two (aka me): Considering they’re starring in not one but two movies together this year (The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day, both hitting theaters this July), we’re almost certainly going to get ‘em in our good year 2026. Now on to the timeline! Keep scrolling for all the answers the internet has to offer about Tom and Zendaya’s romance.
July 2016
Spider-Man: Homecoming didn’t come out until 2017, but fans got a sneak peek at their adorable vibes the year before when they started making cameos in each other’s IG posts, like this picture of them enjoying a pool day with a third friend that Tom shared in July 2016.
November 2016
That fall, Zendaya gave an early look at just how close her bond with Tom was when she posted a picture of their Hollywood Reporter cover, along with a full-on aww-inducing caption. “Amidst all the chaos and sadness…this one good thing did happen to me today,” she wrote. “Honored to share it with the very best…Spider-Man himself @tomholland2013. 🙏🏽”
July 2017
As part of the promotional blitz leading up to the release of Spider-Man: Homecoming, Tom and Zendaya appeared on Lip Sync Battle, and Tom’s mashup of “Singin’ in the Rain” and “Umbrella” promptly went viral. The performance highlighted the pair’s sense of humor and also featured Tom briefly grinding on Zendaya (you know, like you do with all your most platonic friends).
Then, within days of Spider-Man: Homecoming’s premiere on July 7, 2017, rumors started circulating that Tom and Zendaya were a couple IRL (not surprising, on account of the aforementioned incredible chemistry they shared in the movie).
![barcelona, spain june 18 the stars and filmmakers of spider man homecoming, actors tom holland, zendaya and director jon watts appear in barcelona on the occasion of the cineeurope event on june 18, 2017 in barcelona, spain photo by robert marquardtgetty images for sony pictures](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/gettyimages-697357100-1636351610.jpg?crop=0.478xw:0.916xh;0.221xw,0.0357xh&resize=980:* "Barcelona Photo Call - "SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING"")
“They started seeing each other while they were filming Spider-Man,” a source told People of their alleged romance. “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.”
Another insider offered some insight into what made their rumored relationship work at the time, saying, “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.”
Unfortunately, Tom had already shut down dating rumors around the same time, telling People he and Z were BFFs in an interview shortly before the movie premiered.
“We are, like, the best of friends. She’s so great and amazing,” he said 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.”
Then! Zendaya and Tom publicly dragged the romance rumors in a hilarious exchange on Twitter that highlighted their shared sense of humor and, TBH, only made fans ship them harder.
![london, england june 15 tom holland and zendaya attend the spider man homecoming photocall at the ham yard hotel on june 15, 2017 in london, england photo by karwai tangwireimage](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/gettyimages-696215830-1636351562.jpg?resize=980:* ""Spider-Man: Homecoming" Photocall")
“Wait, wait…my favorite is when it says we go on vacations together HA!” Zendaya wrote in reference to the People report. “I haven’t been on a vacation in years! Hbu @tomholland1996 ???”
Tom replied, “Does the press tour count?”
August 2017
Zendaya continued to deny that she and Tom were anything more than best friends throughout the summer. In a Variety interview published August 8, she said, “He’s 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.”
The next day, Entertainment Tonight reported that even though Zendaya still insisted she and Tom were just friends, she wasn’t surprised by the dating rumors.
“It happens all the time, and of course we expected it,” she said. “I mean, it comes with the territory. It comes with the job, so it’s all good.”
December 2017
By the end of the year, reports circulated that Tom had met Zendaya’s parents, Claire Stoermer and Kazembe Ajamu Coleman, and they were “charmed” by him.
“Tom has met Zendaya’s family and they love him,” a source told Us Weekly at the time. “They are still seeing each other. It’s been about a year.”
May 2018
The following spring, Zendaya attended the Met Gala and Tom was so stunned by her lewk that he posted about it on Instagram, where he captioned the photo, “All hail the queen. Killing it, mate. 🙌🏻”
May 9, 2019
Tom reignited more-than-friends rumors when people noticed his, um, interesting tag placement in this group picture on Instagram. Zendaya joined the masses in raising an eyebrow at the tag and commented, “I’m assuming because you don’t know how to work [Instagram], that’s the reasoning behind my name placement.”
Still, when a fan asked her later if Tom’s tagging placement was a subliminal slip, Z insisted it wasn’t anything deeper than a mistake. “Nah, he’s just Instagram stupid,” she tweeted.
Tom later addressed the snafu in an interview with British GQ in April 2021.
“You mean because I tagged Zendaya over my groin in an Instagram post?” he joked when asked about the ongoing relationship rumors. “That was so funny; it was obviously a mistake. But in all seriousness, it is also incredibly frustrating. It’s very nerve-racking.”
He continued, “It means 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.”
June 2021
Rumors that Tom and Zendaya were a couple died down for a couple of years, during which time they were both linked to other people (Zendaya dated her Euphoria costar Jacob Elordi, while Tom was linked to Nadia Parkes). Then in June, TMZ reported that Tom and Z had been spotted getting dinner on what appeared to be a date in Los Angeles.
July 2021
Not long after, the dating rumors were upgraded to “confirmed” when Tom and Zendaya were photographed making out in a car in L.A. (Page Six ran the pics, which were quasi internet-breaking).
September 2021
Tom and Zendaya went Instagram official with their relationship on her birthday. Tom shared a behind-the-scenes picture from the Spider-Man set, captioned, “My MJ, have the happiest of birthdays. Gimme a call when your up xxx.”
Five hours later, Zendaya commented on the post, “Calling now. ♥️”
October 2021
Zendaya openly gushed about Tom in her cover interview with InStyle magazine, praising his passion about playing Spider-Man and his perfectionism on set.
“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,” she explained. “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 also took a moment to share some of the things she loves most about Tom, who appears to be turning her into an honorary Brit.
“Yeah, he’s a fun time,” she added. “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 took to Instagram again to show Zendaya some love after the 2021 CFDA Awards, sharing a picture of her gorgeous red carpet look, captioned, “Naaa stop it. 😍 An incredible achievement for the most incredible person. Congrats @zendaya and @luxurylaw you guys deserve every bit of this.”
Later in the month, Tom Holland was profiled in GQ and vaguely spoke about his relationship with Zendaya without name-dropping her, saying, “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.”
December 2021
Zendaya paid tribute to her Spidey on Instagram, writing, “My Spider-Man, I’m so proud of you, some things never change and good thing.”
January 2022
In an interview with Access Hollywood about Euphoria season 2, Zendaya spilled that Tom visited the set a few times and joked about him having a lil season 3 cameo. “He keeps talking about it,” she said. “Maybe we can get him in the background of a shot eventually, but he definitely came by [the set].”
Tom and Zendaya were also spotted in London at the end of January, and they were seen around his family’s home doing a bit of shopping and spending time with his mom and two younger brothers. For an evening, the whole family apparently went out together to the Palace Theatre in London’s West End to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
June 2022
In honor of Tom’s 26th birthday, Zendaya shared a beyond-sweet snap of the two of them on Instagram, writing, “Happiest of birthdays to the one who makes me the happiest <3.”
September 2022
Z celebrated turning 26 alongside Tom, and the two were spotted at NYC Italian restaurant Mamo.
November 2022
An Us Weekly source blessed us with an update, saying that Tom and Zendaya are “absolutely planning for a real future together,” their relationship is “serious and permanent,” and they’re “in settling-down mode.”
May 2023
Tom and Zendaya were spotted at the NBA playoffs in San Francisco looking cute.
June 2023
Tom said he’s “in love” with Zendaya during an interview with Buzzfeed! Ahem:
“I have no rizz whatsoever. I have limited rizz. My brother Paddy has ultimate rizz. 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.”
Later that month, Tom and Zendaya were spotted by a fan singing “Love on Top” to each other at Beyoncé's Warsaw Show!
July 2023
During an episode of the Wondery podcast Smartless, Tom spoke with hosts Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett about why he and Zendaya work so well.
“I’m lucky that I have someone like Zendaya in my life,” the actor mused. “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.”
Then, while appearing on the podcast On Purpose With Jay Shetty, Tom shared that his ’ship with Zendaya is what he holds “most sacred.”
“I don’t talk about it. 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,” he added, also revealing that he feels most like himself when he's with the Euphoria actor.
October 2023
The duo dressed casually for a walk through a West London park.
February 2024
Zendaya was asked about the one thing in the UK she’d bring back home if she could and said, “My boyfriend. I would just take him with me.”
March 2024
Tom and Zendaya were spotted watching the Men’s Final of the BNP Paribas Open, and the vibes were cute:
More importantly, though:
April 2024
In her cover story for Vogue, Zendaya opened up about her relationship with Tom in the sweetest way. First things first: She praised him for how he handled his newfound fame after their first Spider-Man movie dropped in 2017, saying, “We were both very, very young, but my career was already kind of going, and his changed overnight. 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.”
Zendaya also noted that she “could not be more proud” of Tom for making his return to live theater in an upcoming production of Romeo & Juliet: “I'm going to try to see as many shows as I possibly can.”
Z also dished about getting used to fame in public spaces, saying, “You just kind of get used to the fact that, Oh, I'm also one of these art pieces you’re going to take a picture of. I just gotta be totally cool with it and just live my life.”
Soon after, Tom showed up at the UK premiere of Challengers and he and Zendaya were spotted sharing a kiss!
Zendaya also confirmed that she helped Tom run lines for Romeo & Juliet.
Later on in the month during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Zendaya offered a clue about when she and Tom first started dating…or at least first caught feelings.
“Tom and I were rushing to a spin class—with my mother,” she recalled during the convo. “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.”
And because the couple's fans catch on to every single thing, it didn’t take long for one of them to post the following 2016 clip on X alongside the caption, "the spin class in question help. THEY WERE BABIES."
June 2024
Zendaya met Tom after his performance in Romeo & Juliet at the Duke of York Theatre in London’s West End.
July 2024
A source told Us Weekly that Tom and Zendaya "are the real deal," and that "their relationship is rock solid" because they "started as besties." Meanwhile, their families are "all in" on their relationship and "think they’re perfect together." Love!
August 2024
Z arrived at the closing night of Tom's Romeo & Juliet production at London's Duke of York Theatre and was photographed carrying a large bouquet of red roses, presumably for her BF.
October 2024
After Tom and Z attended the launch party for his non-alcoholic beer brand, Bero, the couple got totally mobbed by photographers outside the event—but Tom was there to save the day. Entertainment Tonightlater ran a video of Tom grabbing Zendaya’s hand to pull her away from cameras crowding around her and fans trying to get her autograph.
That's my Spider-Man! Oh, and can we talk about the coordinating 'fits??
November 2024
During an interview with Vanity Fair, Zendaya opened up about her experience acting alongside her partner, noting that it's “not really” weird at all. “It’s actually strangely comfortable,” she said. “It’s like second nature, if anything. You feel extra safe with the person you’re acting beside."
She even went on to gush about her BF's acting chops. "I love working with him," she added. "He’s so talented, and so passionate about what he does. He always gives things one thousand percent, even if he’s absolutely worn down. I really appreciate that about him. It feels pretty normal. That’s how we met. Literally, at a chemistry read.”
December 2024
Tom makes an appearance on the Dish podcast, where he said his relationship with Z is his “saving grace” as they both navigate fame. “Best thing that’s ever happened to me,” he added. Aww.
He also revealed that he’d be spending the holidays with Zendaya's family this year...though in future years, he hopes to combine their family celebrations. "I think what we'd like to start doing is rather than spending it with each family each year is bring the families together," he explains. "That's what I think we want to do next time. This time, because we're both actors, we're terrible at organizing things, so it hasn't happened yet. The thought's there. The idea has been planted."
January 2025
Zendaya hit the Golden Globes red carpet—sans Tom—in a gorgeous burnt orange Louis Vuitton gown and Bvlgari jewels. She also sported a ring from UK-based jeweler Jessica McCormack, which fans quickly theorized to be an engagement ring since it was worn on her left hand.
It wasn’t long before TMZ reports that Z and Tom were officially engaged. Per the outlet, Tom "popped the question between Christmas and New Year's...dropping to one knee in a very intimate setting in one of Zendaya's family homes in the United States."
TMZ added that the Spider-Man stars "didn't make a huge show of the engagement" and that it was "very romantic and intimate" as their families weren't in attendance for the milestone moment.
Another source told People that "everyone close to them knew an engagement was happening" and that Tom had wanted to propose "for a while."
"He's always been crazy about her. He always knew she was the one. They have something very special," the source said, adding that the Spider-Man stars plan to take their time with their nuptials. "They will just enjoy things for now and won't rush a wedding. They are both busy with work projects."
They added, "Tom's always had this sweet way of letting the world know that Zendaya is his. Now, it's official—she really is!"
April 2025
Zendaya's genius stylist Law Roach told E! that he'd be involved in her wedding dress, but that the occasion was "far away" since "they’re both doing 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."
August 2025
The Sun posted pics of Tom and Zendaya walking their dogs in London.
September 2025
A clip went viral of a panel moderator referring to Zendaya as Tom's "girlfriend," and him correcting them with "fiancée."
December 2025
Tom and Zendaya made a rare appearance together on Tom's brother's Insta! (swipe)
February 2026
Zendaya was spotted wearing a new ring…and naturally, fans jumped to the conclusion that it’s a wedding band:
March 2026
At the 2026 Actor Awards, Law Roach left the internet shook when he (possibly) revealed that Zendaya and Tom were already married. “The wedding has already happened—you missed it!” he said, adding, “It’s very true.”
Zendaya has since joked about the rumors during multiple press appearances…but it’s still not clear whether Law’s claim was promo for The Drama or the truth.
A few weeks after Law’s bombshell, Z and Tom were snapped during a low-key outing:
And soon after that, a fan caught Tom making a sneaky appearance at the premiere of The Drama in Paris:
Aaand that pretty much brings us to this duo’s ’ship at the moment! This timeline will be updated with the next chapter of Z and Tom’s romance, fear not.
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