When Did Tom Holland And Zendaya's Relationship Really Begin?

While the last few years may have brought us the endings of a number of Hollywood's most foremost supercouples — with the infamous split of Brangelina in 2019 to the widely-covered separation of Kim Kardashian and Kanye West just earlier this year — we have also begun to see some of the next generation's most powerful celebrity couples begin to emerge. 

Among the most famous of these new blossoming romances is that between English actor Tom Holland and Zendaya. Both are currently among the biggest and most widely-acclaimed young names in Hollywood — at only 24, Zendaya became the youngest actor ever to win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 2020 for her role as Rue Bennett in HBO's "Euphoria." In May, she was nominated for the same award for this year's Primetime Emmys, as well as two nods for "Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics," for co-writing "Elliot's Song" and "I'm Tired," both of which appeared in "Euphoria" Season 2 (the award ceremony will take place in September). Holland has received similar praise for his career stretching back over 10 years, having received dozens of awards and nominations over the years himself, and is arguably one of Hollywood's most bankable stars.

Fans are excited, then, about the blossoming romance between the two young actors. But when did their relationship actually begin? Well, despite being relatively private for such high-profile celebrities, there's still a bit we know about the couple's relationship. 

It turns out that the romance between actors Tom Holland and Zendaya may have gone all the way back to 2016, when the two first met on the set of "Spider-Man: Homecoming." In the film, Holland played the titular lead, while Zendaya portrayed his eventual love interest, MJ.

"They started seeing each other while they were filming 'Spider-Man,'" a source close to the couple told People in 2017. "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."

Although the two publicly denied the rumors at the time, their on-screen chemistry was clear to many, and only became clearer as the series went on (and their characters' romances developed). In a review for RogerEbert.com for "Spider-Man: No Way Home," a sequel to the original which ended in a famous kiss between MJ and Holland's Peter Parker, Brian Tallerico wrote that the film allowed "Zendaya and Holland's chemistry to shine." He added that in particular, Zendaya "nails the emotional final beats of her character in a way that adds weight to a film that can feel a bit airy in terms of performance." It was later that year, in 2021, when Zendaya and Holland were caught by paparazzi kissing in their car, all but confirming their long-suspected romance to the public.  

Although inside sources close to Tom Holland and Zendaya confirmed they were privately dating all the way back in 2016, it appears as though they may have hit a rough patch between then and when their relationship became public in 2021. According to the Daily Mail, Holland had dated a number of women in the years since 2016, most notably fellow British actor Nadia Parkes, which became public in 2020, and Olivia Bolton before her. Naturally, then, Holland and Zendaya had ended their romance at some point after 2016 before resuming it. 

Now, it appears as though their relationship is stronger than ever, with a source close to the couple telling the Mirror in January that the two are "very much in love." Zendaya even posted a birthday message to Holland on Instagram on June 1, writing, "Happiest of birthdays to the one who makes me the happiest." 

However, despite their happiness together, Holland is still a notoriously private person, and is not a fan of the media and the public's intrigue in his dating life. "One of the downsides of our fame is that privacy isn't really in our control anymore," he told GQ in November 2021. "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 ... We sort of felt robbed of our privacy."