Zendaya and Tom Holland are absolute couple goals after officially confirming they were dating in July 2021.
Romance rumors swirled for years before they publicly said they were an item, with their on-screen chemistry in Spider-Man: Homecoming clearly too much for fans to handle.
Here’s a rundown of their relationship timeline…
Zendaya and Tom Holland
2016
They say the best basis for a relationship is to build a friendship first, and that’s exactly what Tom and Zendaya did.
They met in 2016 while filming Spider-Man: Homecoming and romance rumors quickly began to swirl.
But at the time, the pair were just great friends.
Tom told People at the time: “We are like the best of friends. She’s so great and amazing.
“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
As the pair headed out on a global press tour for the film, sources began claiming that they’d started dating while they were filming.
Sources suggested they were trying their best to keep their relationship out of the public eye, but they denied they were anything more than friends.
Zendaya joked about it at the time, writing on Twitter: “Wait wait…my favourite is when it says we go on vacations together HA! I haven’t been on a vacation in years! hbu @TomHolland1996???”
Tom quoted her tweet and replied: “Does the press tour count”.
Zendaya also told Entertainment Tonight: “It happens all the time, and of course we expected it.
“I mean, it comes with the territory. It comes with the job, so it’s all good.”
2019-2020
Zendaya and Tom both dated other people during this time.
Tom went public with his romance with Nadia Parks, sharing pictures of her on Instagram.
While Zendaya was reported to be dating her Euphoria co-star Jacob Elordi.
They were pictured together on holiday in Greece and spending Thanksgiving together in Australia.
The pair were also pictured kissing during an outing in New York City together.
- READ MORE: How old is Zendaya?
February 2021
An Instagram mishap reignited speculation about Tom and Zendaya’s relationship status.
It seems he accidentally tagged Zendaya in a particularly awkward spot on one of his pictures.
When asked about it, he told British GQ: “You mean, because I tagged Zendaya over my groin in an Instagram post?
“That was so funny; it was obviously a mistake. But in all seriousness, it is also incredibly frustrating. It’s very nerve-racking.
“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.”
July 2021
While we can’t say for sure when Tom and Zendaya took things to a new level, it was confirmed in July 2021 when they were pictured kissing.
Images obtained by Page Six confirmed they were officially an item.
September 2021
Tom and Zendaya finally went Instagram official when he shared a cute picture of them together on her birthday.
They were in costume on the set of the film, with Tom sat in the make up chair and Zendaya stood behind him holding a camera up to her eye to snap a picture in the mirror.
He captioned it: “My MJ, have the happiest of birthdays. Gimme a call when your up xxx”
October 2021
Zendaya publicly opened up about Tom for the first time.
She told InStyle: “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. And seeing him at work, even though he’s not a Virgo [laughs], he is a perfectionist.”
She added: “He’s 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 spoke about their romance with GQ.
He said: “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.”
Speaking about how their relationship went public, he added: “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.”
Zendaya agreed: “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.
“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.”
- READ MORE: Where is Zendaya from?
December 2021
Tom spoke about his hopes of starting a family.
He said in an interview with People: “I’ve spent the last six years being so focused on my career.
“I want to take a break and focus on starting a family and figuring out what I want to do outside of this world.
“I love kids. I can’t wait to be a dad – I can wait and I will, but I can’t wait! If I’m at a wedding or a party, I’m always at the kids’ table hanging out. My dad’s been such a great role model for me.”
February 2022
After Zendaya was pictured visiting Tom in London, there were rumors that they’d bought a house together in the city.
But Tom denied the reports, saying 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! I didn’t buy a new house. I’m like, ‘Wow, what a surprise, I wonder when I’ll get the keys’.”
April 2022
Zendaya opened up about how Tom helped pull her out of the “dark moments” she experienced while playing troubled character Rue in Euphoria.
She told Entertainment Tonight: “I think it’s great to have that support and love around you, because you need that.
“You, know, this isn’t an easy job, so it’s good to have that [support] to free you up from it every now and then.”
June 2022
Zendaya gushed about Tom as she wished him a happy birthday on Instagram.
“Happiest of birthdays to the one who makes me the happiest,” she wrote alongside a cute black and white photo.
September 2022
Zendaya won an Emmy Award for her role in Euphoria and confessed backstage that Tom was the first person she text with the happy news.
When asked about who she’d be contacting first, she said: “I didn’t have to text my mom because my mom was already there, she’s here tonight, which is very special.
“And I text my boyfriend.”
… And the rest, as they say, is history.
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