When Did Zendaya and Tom Holland Start Dating? Full Timeline
When did Zendaya and Tom Holland start dating? It’s one of the most-asked questions about Hollywood’s most private power couple. The short answer: dating rumors began in 2017 after they met on the set of Spider-Man: Homecoming (2016), but the relationship was only confirmed in July 2021, when paparazzi photographed them kissing in a car in Los Angeles. Here’s the complete timeline of when Zendaya and Tom Holland started dating — from “just friends” denials to engagement rumors and beyond.
💕 Quick Facts: When Did Zendaya and Tom Holland Start Dating?
Table of Contents
- Who Is Zendaya?
- Who Is Tom Holland?
- When Did Zendaya and Tom Holland Start Dating?
- The Full Relationship Timeline: 2016 to 2026
- Why Zendaya and Tom Holland Kept Their Relationship So Private
- Recent Updates: Zendaya and Tom Holland’s Engagement and Marriage Rumors
- Frequently Asked Questions
Who Is Zendaya?
Zendaya (born Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman on September 1, 1996, in Oakland, California) is an Emmy-winning actress, singer, and fashion icon. She rose to fame as a Disney Channel star on Shake It Up (2010–2013), then reinvented herself with critically acclaimed roles: Rue Bennett in HBO’s Euphoria, for which she became the youngest-ever winner of the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (2020, and again in 2022), MJ in the Spider-Man films, Chani in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune franchise, and the lead in Challengers (2024). Known for her red-carpet dominance with stylist Law Roach, she is one of the most influential young stars in the world.
Who Is Tom Holland?
Tom Holland (born Thomas Stanley Holland on June 1, 1996, in London, England) is a British actor who first gained attention on the West End stage in Billy Elliot the Musical before his film breakout in The Impossible (2012). Cast as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he headlined Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Far From Home (2019), and No Way Home (2021) — the latter becoming one of the highest-grossing films of all time. Beyond the web-slinger, he has starred in The Devil All the Time, Cherry, Uncharted, and launched the non-alcoholic beer brand BERO. Famously down-to-earth in interviews, Holland has called Zendaya his childhood crush and frequently gushes about being “locked up” and happy in love.
When Did Zendaya and Tom Holland Start Dating?
So when did Zendaya and Tom Holland actually start dating? The honest timeline has three phases. They met in 2016 while filming Spider-Man: Homecoming and became close friends immediately. Dating rumors first surfaced during the film’s 2017 press tour, fueled by their obvious chemistry — but both denied them. In August 2017, Zendaya explicitly said they were not dating and were just friends. Between 2019 and 2020, both were linked to other people, and the rumors cooled.
The real turning point came in the summer of 2021. While filming the third Spider-Man film, No Way Home, in late 2020, their friendship deepened — and on July 1, 2021, paparazzi photographed them kissing in a car at a red light in Los Angeles. That was the public confirmation: Zendaya and Tom Holland started dating in the summer of 2021, even if the spark had been building since 2016. Two months later, Holland made it Instagram official with a birthday post for her: “My MJ, have the happiest of birthdays. Gimme a call when you’re up xxx.” She replied, “Calling now,” with a heart emoji.
The Full Relationship Timeline: 2016 to 2026
2016: Meet on the Spider-Man: Homecoming set; fast friends. 2017: Press-tour dating rumors; both deny. They compete together on Lip Sync Battle. 2018: Friendly public support, Met Gala appearances. 2019: Far From Home promotion and their first on-screen kiss; each linked to other partners off-screen. 2020: Quiet pandemic year; filming of No Way Home begins late in the year. 2021: The July car-kiss photos confirm the romance; September Instagram official; December red-carpet debut as a couple at the No Way Home London photo call. In a GQ interview that November, Holland said they felt “robbed of their privacy” by the photo leak. 2022–2024: Deliberately private — occasional date nights and supportive red-carpet moments, but no oversharing. 2025: Zendaya debuts a diamond ring at the January Golden Globes; reports say Holland proposed over the 2024 Christmas holidays. 2026: Marriage rumors ignite after stylist Law Roach claims “the wedding has already happened” — then contradicts himself. As of late 2026, neither star has officially confirmed a wedding. For more on where things stand, see our pieces on Zendaya and Tom Holland’s wedding rumors and did Zendaya and Tom Holland get married.
Why Zendaya and Tom Holland Kept Their Relationship So Private
What makes the “when did Zendaya and Tom Holland start dating” question so fascinating is how little the couple themselves have ever said. Unlike most A-list pairings, they never did a joint magazine cover announcing the relationship, never walked a red carpet as a marketing moment, and rarely post about each other. Both have said their relationship is their private business. The approach has arguably made every milestone — every ring sighting, every red-carpet joke, every interview aside — feel more significant to fans precisely because so little is handed over. Read their full story on our Tom Holland and Zendaya page, and learn more from Zendaya’s Wikipedia page, Tom Holland’s Wikipedia page, and the Spider-Man: Homecoming film page where it all began.
Recent Updates: Zendaya and Tom Holland’s Engagement and Marriage Rumors
The biggest recent chapter began at the January 2025 Golden Globes, where Zendaya’s diamond ring sent fans into a frenzy — reports soon said Holland had proposed over the 2024 holidays. In March 2026, stylist Law Roach seemingly confirmed a secret wedding on a red carpet (“the wedding has already happened… you missed it”), only to later contradict himself with cryptic remarks. Holland has referred to Zendaya as his fiancée — and in some interviews, his wife — while Zendaya casually confirmed their bond at a 2026 fan event. True to form, the couple has let speculation swirl without a formal announcement.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Zendaya and Tom Holland officially start dating?
Their relationship was publicly confirmed on July 1, 2021, when photos of them kissing in a car in Los Angeles were published. They had been rumored since 2017 but always denied it before then.
Did Zendaya and Tom Holland deny dating rumors before 2021?
Yes. During the 2017 Spider-Man: Homecoming press tour, both insisted they were just friends — Zendaya said so explicitly in August 2017.
How did Zendaya and Tom Holland meet?
On the set of Spider-Man: Homecoming in 2016, where she played MJ and he played Peter Parker.
Are Zendaya and Tom Holland engaged?
Zendaya debuted a diamond engagement ring at the January 2025 Golden Globes, and reports say Holland proposed over the 2024 Christmas holidays. The couple never made a formal announcement.
Are Zendaya and Tom Holland married?
As of late 2026, there is no official confirmation. Marriage rumors spread in 2026 after stylist Law Roach’s red-carpet comments, but his later statements were contradictory and the couple has stayed characteristically quiet.
Were Zendaya and Tom Holland linked to other people before dating each other?
Yes — between 2019 and 2020, both were linked to other partners before their own relationship was confirmed in 2021.
So when did Zendaya and Tom Holland start dating? Summer 2021 is the confirmed answer — though fans will tell you the story really began the day they met on that Spider-Man set in 2016. From denied rumors to a car-kiss confirmation, a fiercely guarded private romance, an engagement ring, and now wedding whispers, theirs remains the love story Hollywood can’t stop watching — even when the couple refuses to perform it.
