Zendaya and Tom Holland's Relationship Timeline, Explained

The two first met in 2016.

By Brenda Alexander

Zendaya and Tom Holland have been dating publicly since 2021, and are seemingly going stronger than ever. Both actors, the Euphoria star and Spider-Man in Homecoming actor have managed to maintain a good balance of their growing and busy careers, while they nurture their budding love. Despite their star power, they've kept many details of their romance private, while also supporting one another at public events and walking hand-in-hand at red carpets. 

After years of friendship, their romance blossomed. And now, the two are reportedly considering marriage.  A source close to PEOPLE revealed: "There has been talk of marriage, and that is a reality." The source added: "They are not the kind of stars who put their lives together out there on social media for the most part. Both are private." Let's take a trip down memory lane and see how their love journey began.

They met years before they confirmed they were dating

Zendaya first appeared on Holland's Instagram account in 2016. They wouldn't confirm their romance until five years later. In the first social media photo, Holland captioned the post of the two with another friend in a pool: "Summer Sunday's." She'd post him to her Instagram months later.

Dating rumors begin

By 2017, many speculated the two were an item. But they kept their relationship status secret, despite appearing on red carpets together.

The two speak about how fame impacts their personal lives

After months of dating rumors in 2017, they opened up about the rumors and how they help each other navigate the tabloid fodder. Before the premiere of Spider-Man, Holland credited Zendaya with him being able to deal with life in Hollywood.

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(Photo: Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

"We are like the best of friends. She's so great and amazing," he said of the actress. "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," he added.

A foundation of friendship

The same year, she told Variety that their relationship was platonic. "We are friends," 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."

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A kiss on-screen

While they may have just been friends off-camera, on-camera was something else. Spider-Man: Far From Home showed the pair's first on-screen kiss. They'd transfer that chemistry onto a red carpet by confirming their love for one another with a kiss on the red carpet in 2021. They went Instagram official the same year.

Keeping things under the radar

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In an interview with GQ in November 2021, Holland said keeping his love life private was intentional. "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," Holland said.

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