All The Sweet Things Zendaya And Tom Holland Have Said About Each Other

"I'm very glad I have a friend like her."

Meeting on the set of Spider-Man: Homecoming in 2016, Tom and Zendaya instantly bonded, and ahead of the film's 2017 release, Tom admitted that Zendaya was his sounding board for navigating sudden, global stardom. "We are like the best of friends. She's so great and amazing," Holland said. "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." In the meantime, Zendaya shared the cover of their "Next Gen 2016" issue on Instagram at the time and wrote, "Amidst all the chaos and sadness…this one good thing did happen to me today. Honored to share it with the very best…Spider-Man himself."

"To the one who makes me happiest <3"

Birthday tributes became the couple's signature way of celebrating each other. In September 2021, Tom seemingly hard-launched their romance on Instagram with a sweet behind-the-scenes photo, captioning it, "My MJ, have the happiest of birthdays. Gimme a call when you're up xxx." The following June, Zendaya reciprocated with a tender black-and-white photo, quoting "Happiest of birthdays to the one who makes me happiest."

"All hail the queen."

Tom has never been shy about hyping up Zendaya’s iconic fashion moments. From her Joan of Arc-inspired Met Gala look where he posted her image with the caption, ""All hail the queen. Killing it mate," to her 2021 CFDA Fashion Icon award win, where he praised her and stylist Law Roach on social media with the caption, "an incredible achievement for the most incredible person. Congrats @zendaya and @luxurylaw you guys deserve every bit of this." Holland is the first person to praise Zendaya and has kept the tradition alive through and through.

"He is a perfectionist."

Shortly after going Instagram official, Zendaya opened up in an interview with InStyle about what makes Tom so special to work with. "In an actor way, I appreciate that he really loves being Spider-Man," she said. "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," and lovingly poked fun at his nature and charm, noting how easily he makes everyone feel comfortable.

"She totally changed the way I am able to be more comfortable in public."

Tom credited Zendaya with fundamentally changing how he interacts with fans. Admitting his initial Londoner reaction to fame was one of "instant suspicion," he shared how Zendaya step-in to help in defusing the public tension. "I used to come across sometimes as a bit of a d--- to fans, mainly as I was always so surprised that they'd want a picture with me or signature or whatever. I'd have the typical Londoner reaction, one of instant suspicion: 'Why are you talking to me?' Zendaya spotted this and quickly told me that this sort of reaction was going to be more aggro than just smiling and taking the picture. She totally changed the way I am able to be more comfortable in public," Holland mentioned during his interview with British GQ.

"My Spider-Man."

Across three massive MCU films, their bond only grew. Following the release of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Zendaya shared a heartwarming throwback tribute to Tom on her Instagram captioning, "My Spider-Man, I'm so proud of you, some things never change and good thing."

"I texted my boyfriend."

When Zendaya made history with her 2022 Emmy win for Euphoria, she knew exactly who she wanted to share the moment with first. While her mother was in the audience, Tom was the very first person that crossed her mind while celebrating the milestone. "I didn't have to text my mom because my mom was already there. I texted my boyfriend."

"Because it's not my moment, it's her moment."

Fans often wonder why the two rarely walk red carpets together for solo projects. Tom revealed the sweet reason: respect for eachother. Whether supporting her quietly from the crowds at the Dune: Part Two premiere or holding hands after his Romeo and Juliet West End run, Tom intentionally avoids sharing her solo spotlights, "because it's not my moment, it's her moment, and if we go together, it's about us," so the focus stays entirely on her achievements.

"He handled it really beautifully."

Ahead of Tom's theatrical turn as Romeo in London, Zendaya expressed immense pride in how he has managed the immense pressures of modern celebrity. Having witnessed his transformation from a rising actor to a global superstar, Zendaya praised him and mentioned that she, "definitely watched his life kind of change in front of him. But he handled it really beautifully."

"Just naturally very good at that."

In a lighthearted moment, Zendaya officially confirmed who holds the title for the ultimate charisma in her book. "'Rizz' is short for 'charisma,' right? Everybody's kind of got their own. I think someone who has beautiful charisma, not on the 'Dune' cast, but I personally -- [it] works for me -- is Mr. Tom Holland." Comparing her "I'm more shy and, like, kind of quiet, so it takes a little bit more to, like, pull me out of my shell," to Tom's outgoing personality, she gushed about how, "he's great at just, like, talking to people and getting to know people…. He's just naturally very good at that."

"Our relationship is something that we are incredibly protective of."

Both stars have spoken candidly about the effort required to keep their love private in a public industry. Tom described their, "relationship is something that we are incredibly protective of and we want to keep as sacred as possible. We don't think that we owe it to anyone, it's our thing, and it has nothing to do with our careers." While Zendaya emphasized, "It's about protecting the peace and letting things be your own but also not being afraid to exist. You can't hide. That's not fun, either. I am navigating it more than ever now."