Zendaya and Tom Holland are relationship goals.
Sure, it took some years before they officially got there — the rumor mill went wild for these two — but now that they’ve arrived here it’s so lovely to witness true love.
In honor of Holland’s 27th birthday on Thursday, ET takes a look back at how he and Zendaya went from co-stars and close friends to an inseparable couple floating on Cloud 9 while defying the old adage that nothing lasts in Hollywood.
March 2016: Zendaya, Holland land ‘Spider-Man’
It was Deadline that first reported Zendaya landed a leading role in the reboot that would later be known as Spider-Man: Homecoming, which hit theaters in 2017. Holland, of course, portrayed Peter Parker/Spider-Man while Zendaya would play Michelle “MJ” Jones.
Production for the film would begin in June 2016 before hitting theaters July 7, 2017.
July 2016: Holland posts Zendaya on Instagram
Just one month after production starts, they’re spotted with another friend hanging in a pool. Holland captioned the post, “Summer Sundays,” and it’s believed to be the first time she appears on his Instagram account.
Zendaya returned the favor just 14 days later when she posted a group photo of the Spider-Man crew that appeared in Entertainment Weekly. Holland next shows up on her grid on Nov. 9, 2016, and Nov. 10, 2016, following their photoshoot with The Hollywood Reporter.
July 2017: They spark dating rumors
By the time Zendaya posts her and Holland’s photo shoot pics for The Hollywood Reporter, some four months had gone by since they first sparked dating rumors.
In fact, it was Zendaya who tried to downplay the palpable chemistry they displayed while promoting Spider-Man, when she took to Twitter and wrote, “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???”
Holland responded by sub-tweeting and saying, “@Zendaya, Does the press tour count?”
June 2018: ‘Happy birthday loser…’
Those were the words Zendaya chose for her caption when she celebrated his 22nd birthday, which included a video of Holland and co-star Jacob Batalon having an intense lightsaber duel.
July 2019: ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’ hits theaters
Zendaya and Holland reprise their roles, and rumors that they’re dating intensify yet again after another exhausting press tour to promote the film.
In fact, a month before the film’s release, Holland told ELLE that he’s single, though he’s “definitely a relationship person.” The denial came nearly two years after Zendaya had already told Variety that she and Holland “are friends” and that “he’s a great dude” and “literally one of my best friends.”
That same month, Holland was seen holding hands with Olivia Bolton in London’s Hyde Park, sending fans into a panic.
August 2019: Zendaya and Euphoria‘s Jacob Elordi are dating
They were spotted vacationing together in Greece. Then, after being the subject of romance rumors for months, despite denials from both of them — they were spotted in Feb. 2020 sharing a kiss while on a stroll in SoHo.
July 2020: Holland’s dating Nadia Parkes
Holland and the actress go Instagram official after he posts a photo of her out and about.
According to the Daily Mail, they moved in together at his home in London during the lockdown. The outlet reported that, at the time, they were in an official relationship after dating for more than three months.
July 2021: They’re spotted kissing!
Just one year after Holland went Instagram official with Parkes, the Spider-Man star and Zendaya were spotted by paparazzi kissing at a red light while in his Audi sports car during a sunset drive in Los Angeles.
In addition to Holland going in for a kiss from Zendaya, the photos, which were published by Page Six, show the two also making faces and acting silly with one another.
That same day, the two were seen exiting a house in the L.A. neighborhood of Silver Lake together. The kiss came years after they were first rumored to be an item. Zendaya would later tell ET that being the subject of stories linking her with Holland didn’t faze her after so many years in the entertainment industry.
“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.”
The following month after they were spotted kissing, Zendaya and Holland attended a friend’s wedding. In a photo that appeared in an Instagram Story, Zendaya can be seen leaning her head on Holland’s head as they cozied up to one another.
September 2021: ‘My MJ’
The sweetest superhero you’ll ever meet! Holland posted a Spider-Man selfie with Zendaya for her 25th birthday. He captioned it, “My MJ, have the happiest of birthdays. Gimme a call when your [sic] up xxx.”
The photo features the rumored couple posing for a mirror selfie while on the set of a Spider-Man movie. Holland is wearing his Spidey suit with his face exposed and covered in fake cuts and bruises. The Euphoria star stands behind him with a wide smile on her face, resting her chin on his shoulder and taking the photo with a silver camera.
October 2021: Zendaya’s ‘celebrity crush’
During a BFF quiz for BuzzFeed, Zendaya and her Dune co-star Timothée Chalamet were answering questions about one another, including their “biggest celebrity crush.”
“Easy,” Chalamet said of Zendaya with a grin, looking at the camera, “Tom Holland.”
Zendaya looked down and seemed to blush as she laughed at her co-star’s comment about her rumored boyfriend.
Oops!
November 2021: Holland confirms relationship
Holland and Zendaya didn’t want to share their relationship with the world. He told GQ how he and Zendaya felt after pictures of them kissing in a car were leaked in July.
“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,” says Holland, who additionally revealed that he has a recurring nightmare in which he’s paralyzed in his bed as paparazzi surround him.
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,” Holland says, adding that he and the 25-year-old actress “sort of felt robbed of our privacy” when the pics of them kissing surfaced.
December 2021: Their red carpet debut as a couple
They posed on the red carpet together for the first time after Holland confirmed their relationship a month prior.
The milestone moment came during a London photo call for the pair’s upcoming flick, Spiderman: No Way Home.
For the event, Holland wore a Celine ensemble, which included a black leather jacket, matching pants and a white collared shirt. As for Zendaya, she rocked an oversized, crystal-adorned Alexander McQueen blazer, that she paired with sparkly tights and spider-web earrings, per Vogue.
In one of the red carpet pics, Holland and Zendaya, both 25, look more in love than ever, as they stare into each other’s eyes with smiles on their faces. Other shots feature the pair giggling together, and wrapping their arms around one another.
That event came less than a week after Holland and Zendaya stepped out for the Ballon D’Or, an annual soccer ceremony in Paris, France. The two walked the red carpet separately at that event, but posed inside the soiree for a loved-up pic, which was shared by British Vogue.
April 2022: He’s so supportive
Zendaya spoke to ET about having her man’s support while playing such a tough role on Euphoria.
“I think it’s great to have that support and love around you, because you need that,” Zendaya said of the Uncharted actor being there for her as she detaches from playing the drug-addicted high school student. “This isn’t an easy job, so it’s good to have that to free you up from it every now and then.”
Later that month, Holland traveled to Boston where she was filming her latest project, The Challengers. They were spotted taking a stroll around the city dressed casually.
The Euphoria star wore an oversized knit sweater with dark pants and white sneakers, and kept her hair swept up in a bun and out of her face. Holland was cool in an oversized T-shirt tucked into black pants.
During their walk, the couple held hands, and later, the actress looped her arm through her beau’s arm, while Holland put his hand in his pocket, as they took in the city.
June 2022: Zendaya shuts down pregnancy rumors
A TikTok video went viral after it showed a Photoshopped screenshot of Zendaya’s Instagram to make it look like she posted an ultrasound. The video then cuts to Kris Jenner dancing to the song “Lady Marmalade.”
Like most internet frenzies, the video sent online users feverishly sharing the news of Zendaya’s supposed pregnancy. So much so, the Euphoria actress’ name is trending across social media platforms.
Zendaya quickly shut down the rumor by taking to Instagram and posting a photo with a black background and overlaying it with the text, “See now, this is why I stay off Twitter…. Just making stuff up for no reason….weekly.”
July 2022: Zendaya visits him in NYC
She traveled to the Big Apple to visit Holland on the set of his AppleTV+ series, The Crowded Room. Zendaya smiled as she was photographed walking onto the set, wearing a black crop top and matching pants for the outing.
September 2022: Celebrating her 26th birthday!
Zendaya and Holland hit up the ritzy joint MAMO in SoHo, where they were also met by Zendaya’s mother, Claire Stoermer, and her Euphoria co-star, Hunter Schafer.
Zendaya looked abs-olutely stunning in a long-sleeve crop top that also put her toned abs on full display. The actress donned boyfriend jeans and black heels to complete the knockout look. Holland kept things a bit more casual, with an untucked plaid button-down dress shirt, blue-ish corduroy pants and a pair of Adidas’ classic Superstar shoes.
The next day, the lovely couple hit the streets of NYC while holding hands following a coffee run. Holland opted for a hot cup of joe while Zendaya went with an iced coffee.
October 2022: Louvre is in the air
They looked picture-perfect in Paris, holding hands while visiting the Louvre Museum in France.
Zendaya and Holland were photographed admiring a statue at the famed museum while someone who appears to be a Louvre employee details the history behind the piece.
March 2023: From Mumbai, with love
Zendaya flashed her light pink manicure on nail artist Marina Dobyk’s account and eagle-eyed fans were quick to notice the ring on her right ring finger with Holland’s initials engraved on it in an ornate script.
Later that month, they were spotted in Mumbai, India. She looked comfy in a sweatshirt, leggings and her glasses, and her beau opted for a jacket, T-shirt, jeans and baseball hat.
Zendaya and Holland were each carrying bags as they made their way from the airport to their car.
Zendaya Fangirls for Usher at Las Vegas Residency Alongside Tom Holland
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Zendaya Fangirls for Usher at Las Vegas Residency Alongside Tom Holland
April 2023: They got it bad…
The couple shared some PDA while attending Usher’s Las Vegas residency at The Colosseum.
Zendaya documented part of the fun on her Instagram Stories, singing along to “Confessions Part II,” as she panned the camera over to Holland and then to some other friends.
For the outing, Zendaya wore a tan halter dress, hoop earrings and oversized glasses. Holland, 26, rocked a green hoodie.
Fans also filmed the couple hugging one another in the stands as they enjoyed the show.
May 2023: From the Bay to Italy
They got caught up in a little NBA fever when they attended Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals in Oakland between the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers.
The Spider-Man stars kept it casual for their date night, with the Oakland native sporting a white shirt, black cap and gold-rimmed glasses. Holland kept it low-key in a light gray sweatshirt and black sunnies that kept his locks pushed back from his face.
They then hopped on a jet for a little R&R in Italy, where they packed on the PDA on a boat.
June 2023: The birthday boy!
Zendaya took to Instagram on June 1, 2023 to celebrate his 27th birthday. The couple appear to be out on some kind of excursion. She posted a photo of Holland underwater with his arms raised and his hands forming a heart shape. She tagged him in the post and added a heart emoji.
In another Instagram Story, Zendaya posted a photo of Holland standing on some rocks while a big blue sea serves as his backdrop. She added another emoji, this time a smiling face with heart-eyes emoji.
Holland later took to Instagram and had a little laugh at his own expense.
“Thank you for all the wonderful birthday messages,” he captioned a post of him water gliding gear. “A gift from me to you. I thought I’d share possibly the sexiest picture ever taken of me! #sexyiestmanalive.”
Zendaya dropped a comment, and it was a familiar emoji — 😍.
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