After the filming of Spider-Man: Homecoming, Tom Holland and his co-star Zendaya have become one of the most inseparable pairs in Hollywood. There are a lot of friendships that have been formed or strengthened due to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but Zendaya and Tom Holland do seem to put everyone else to shame.
They’re both very busy with burgeoning careers, yet, in the few moments they do have free time, the two are rarely seen without each other. Since they are so high profile and are in the public eye, it might seem like everything is known about Tom Holland and Zendaya. Yet there are more than a few misconceptions about the relationships, including just exactly how close they are to one another. It’s hard for any man and woman to be seen as just friends, but it’s even harder when you’re both famous, beautiful and rich movie stars.
Despite the glitz and glamour of their lives, Tom Holland and Zendaya both seem pretty down to Earth. They’re just normal friends, they just happen to be super famous. But, even the most normal of people can have some secrets.
Here are 20 Secrets About Tom Holland And Zendaya’s Friendship.
They're Not Dating
Tom Holland and Zendaya are both young, attractive and, as will become evident throughout the course of this list, spend a lot of time together. Naturally many people have assumed they are dating and have been dating since the filming of Spider-Man: Homecoming. However, the pair have been very open about the fact that they’re not together. Tom and Zendaya are just friends and they’ll be the first to tell anyone that fact. The rumors of the two’s romantic entanglement began around the release of Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Zendaya and Tom have been consistent about firmly and publicly denying there’s anything more between them than being friends.
In an interview with Variety, Zendaya was asked twice if there’s anything between them and she responded no, twice. She went on to explain that the two got close on the press tour, but they didn’t start dating. “There’s very few people that will understand what that’s like at 20 years old,” she said of the press tour experience for Homecoming. Zendaya’s firm answer hasn’t stopped people from speculating that the two are dating. Yet as far the pair is concerned there’s nothing between them. They just get along and enjoy hanging out together.
Tom Holland Is One of Zendaya's Best Friends
Zendaya and Tom Holland might not be together in a romantic sense. Yet they're very close. When asked to confirm or deny the rumors of them dating, Zendaya said of Tom, “He’s a great dude. He’s literally one of my best friends.” Though the rumor mill won’t stop churning about their private lives, the two haven’t be dissuaded from spending time together. In fact, the public frenzy around their privates lives has even brought the two closer. E!Online reports that Zendaya recalled a rather serious incident where the two were in a car together and were being hounded by paparazzi.
One shutterbug, in particular, was acting in a very dangerous manner. They were endangering the lives of Zendaya and Tom, as well as themselves. As the two were spending some innocent time together, the paparazzi was trying to snap a picture of them on the car, while driving. “This guy was being super dangerous, driving through a busy intersection, doing a U-turn, driving on the side of the freeway to catch up to us—the side where you're not supposed to drive because there's no lane,” Zendaya said. “I was like, 'This is nuts.'" Luckily no one was hurt. Regardless, that is a ludicrous effort to make to get a snapshot of two people who have sworn they aren’t even romantically linked.
They Spend A Lot Of Time Together
There’s no excuse for the paparazzi’s obsession over the two young stars. Yet, it’s not that difficult to get a picture of them together, as Zendaya and Tom Holland spend a lot of time together. If one encounter isn’t captured, a new one is bound to be just around the corner. It’s not even as if Tom and Zendaya spend time in secretive locations meant for the most famous of celebrities. In late 2017, The Daily Mail reports that the two were seen out at the mall, like any average early 20-somethings. They were just shopping and hanging out, maybe even doing some early Christmas shopping. The actors didn’t keep their mall excursion hidden either.
Tom posted the trip on his Instagram account as a story. Throughout the story, Tom’s face is barely visible. Tom Holland can't really take a selfie, but he doesn't care who people see him with. Even if it's Zendaya. Obviously the paparazzi want photos of Tom and Zendaya together because those photos are worth something and they want to catch the pair in a romantic act. Yet given how open the two are, the hunt for pictures of them is a bit of fool’s errand. One of the secrets of their friendship, is there really isn't too much of a secret. They're pretty public.
Zendaya Isn’t The Only Young Starlet Tom Has Been Linked To Romantically
Zendaya and Tom Holland’s private "love affair" is the most persistent rumor about the actor’s life. Yet, Zendaya isn’t the first up-and-coming star that Tom has supposedly seen on the sly. Before the rumors of Zendaya and Tom being more than friends went into overdrive, Tom was linked to actress Ella Purnell. Purnell hasn’t had much success state-side, yet. Her career has mostly been contained to the UK, but she has appeared in Kick-Ass 2 and Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. She’s not Spider-Woman, but Purnell’s star is on the rise.
According to The Daily Mail, Tom and Ella met after the 2017 BAFTAs. According to the reports, they were seen talking at a Weinstein party, yes that Weinstein, and went back to Tom’s hotel together. Since that event the two haven’t really been linked together. However, it’s worth pointing that Tom attended the 2017’s BAFTAs with his mother, Nicola Frost, as his date. If Tom and Ella did meet back at his hotel, which is admittedly a big “if,” that would result in a rather awkward interaction with Tom’s mother. In all honestly, there’s probably as much romantically between Tom and Ella as Tom and Zendaya. However, if Ella’s career explodes as much as Tom Holland's, don’t be surprised if the rumor of their romance resurfaces.
They Find The Frenzy Over Their "Relationship" Hilarious
Luckily for Tom and Zendaya, they take the mayhem surrounding them in stride. It would be very easy to get fed up with all the attention. It’s true that it doesn’t seem like Zendaya or Tom really enjoy all the hubbub around them, but they do use it as an excuse to have fun with one another. Back in February of 2018, Zendaya posted on her Instagram account that she, jokingly, can’t take Tom anywhere. As covered by Access Online, whenever the two go anywhere, they’re hounded by paparazzi. It’s Tom that is bringing the attention too, because Zendaya points out that when she goes out with her assistant, Darnell, no one bothers them.
When Tom arrives and joins them on their outings, he brings a whole tidal wave of paparazzi with him.
Zendaya dragged Tom online, blaming him and his millions of social media followers, for bringing such scrutiny into her life. It’s obviously not serious and it's just an example of the two ribbing each other, or more accurately Zendaya mocking Tom and him just taking it. Yet, even in their fake fight, there was still those who felt that they were hiding their romance. When Tom apologized to her, calling Zendaya, “mate,” a few fans asserted that it was short for “soulmate.”
Zendaya Was Worried Their Height Different Would Keep Her From Getting the Homecoming Part
It ends up working well for him as he’s meant to be a teenager in the MCU, but, obviously, Tom Holland isn’t too tall. The actor is only about 5’8” which isn’t so short, but wouldn't exactly be what someone would call tall. On the other hand, Zendaya is rather tall in comparison. Zendaya is 5’10” which puts her above most other actresses in her age range, even if she’s under six feet. In fact, Zendaya was worried that her height would keep her from getting the part in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Tom Holland was cast well in advance of everyone else. So Zendaya knew she’d be a couple inches above the leading man. Luckily, Zendaya explained in an interview with Variety that during her chemistry read with Tom they were sitting down.
“I was worried because he’s so much shorter than me,” she explained. “I was like, ‘Damn it! It’s going to be weird because I’m super tall.’ But then we ended up doing the audition sitting. So that was good.” Since that moment though Tom and Zendaya have proceeded to have fun with their significant height difference, something that, obviously, grows when she is wearing heels. During the MTV Movie Awards where the pair presented a teaser for Spider-Man: Homecoming, Tom thanked the maker of Zendaya’s shoes for making her so much taller than him.
Zendaya Helps Out With Tom's Charity Work
Zendaya and Tom don’t just work together as a part of the Spider-Man franchise, as she has also lent a helping hand with Tom’s charity. Tom runs a charity organization with his brothers, Sam, Harry and Paddy. Tom announced the group, called The Brothers Trust, with his brothers and Zendaya by his side. The aim of The Brothers Trust is pretty simple. There’s nothing specific that the group does, but Tom uses his platform to raise money for various causes. They have raised money for Toys for Tots, has created several grants for various other organization and overall tries to “support charities who struggle to be heard.”
Tom is the oldest and most famous of his brothers, but he’s not their only connection to fame.
Tom’s father was a relatively well-known British comic. He’s since been far surpassed by his son, Tom. Yet, the family was always in the public light. Though Brothers Trust is obviously a family venture, Zendaya has been involved sporadically. The actress has several causes and charities of her own. Brothers Trust is far from her only charity work. For her 18th birthday, Zendaya raised funds to feed hungry children around the world. Although, nothing that Zendaya bears her direct involvement like Tom and The Brothers Trust.
Zendaya And Tom Visited A Children's Hospital In Character
One of the most heartwarming trends of the superhero boom in pop culture is actors dressing as their characters to go visit sick kids in the hospital. No matter if they’re a part of the DCEU, MCU or somewhere else, superhero actors have gone to see sick kids and make their dark days a little bit brighter. Tom Holland, given his charitable background, has visited hospitals several times as Spider-Man. However, on one special occasion, he was accompanied by his Spider-Man: Homecoming co-stars, including Zendaya.
Tom, Zendaya and Jacob Batalon, who plays Peter's best friend Ned, all went to New York Presbyterian Hospital. Tom dressed up and acting like Spider-Man was the main attraction, but Jacob and Zendaya did do their parts too. Though she didn’t dowdy herself nearly as much as Michelle, Zendaya did wear an outfit that was similar to tomboy character. Jacob and Zendaya were mostly there for support and to film. Using their phones, they caught one adorably embarrassing visit. The young patient was less than enthused with Tom’s appearance as Spider-Man. The kid claimed to prefer Batman. When asked what’s better about Batman than Spider-Man, the young fan responded, “Poo-poo.” Which everyone, including Tom, greatly enjoyed.
They Were Both Child Actors
Tom and Zendaya forged their friendship on the set of Spider-Man: Homecoming. They hadn’t interacted before being cast in Spider-Man’s big solo debut in the MCU. However, at both 21-years-old, the two are very young for their level of fame. Spider-Man might be their biggest movie to date, but it’s not their only major role. Tom Holland and Zendaya have both been acting since a very early age and that’s undoubtedly one of the underlying causes of their bond. Peter Parker is Tom Holland’s first big state-side role. Yet, he was acting in his home country of Britain when he was just in single digits of age. One of Tom’s first big roles, and one of his first roles ever, was in the West End production of Billy Elliot the Musical. At age 12, Tom played Billy’s best friend, Michael. Eventually he stepped into the lead role of Billy.
Zendaya got her first big break on The Disney Channel. She was one of the two main leads in the Disney Channel comedy, Shake It Up. Zendaya played Rocky Blue from ages 14 to 17. After Shake It Up ended, Zendaya got her own series. She landed the title role in the Disney Channel series, KC Undercover. The experience of being a child actor is strange and a potentially damaging one. Yet, Zendaya and Tom appear to have both come out of it unscathed. It certainly must help that they have each other to commiserate about it.
They Performed Against Each Other On Lip Sync Battle
Not counting their time on the press tour together, Spider-Man: Homecoming was Tom Holland and Zendaya's first public appearance together. However, it was quickly followed by an appearance on the small screen in the celebrity competition show, Lip Sync Battle. About a month after Spider-Man: Homecoming’s release, Tom and Zendaya faced off against each other in the competition first popularized on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. The spin-off, which is hosted by LL Cool J and Chrissy Teigen, saw Tom and Zendaya silently “perform” against each other. The second and final round of their appearance had Zendaya and Tom go all out to win over the crowd.
Zendaya took on the role of Bruno Mars, in a very literal sense, and performed “24K Magic.” Meanwhile Tom Holland transformed himself into Rhianna to take on “Umbrella.” It’s Tom’s rain filled performance that netted him the win, which means almost literally nothing. Lip Sync Battle has seen several celebrities perform against one another. Most of the pairings have been more random and bizarre then the last. Zendaya and Tom Holland are one of the few examples where it was clear the celebs were enjoying themselves nearly as much, if not more, than the fans watching.
Spider-Man Was Zendaya's Favorite Superhero Before Homecoming
It’s well-documented that Spider-Man has long been Tom Holland’s favorite superhero. In nearly every interview for one Tom Holland’s appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the actor talks about his long love affair with his character. Zendaya isn’t nearly as big a fan of Spider-Man as Tom. Yet, she's still on record as saying he is her favorite superhero. Growing up Zendaya wasn’t too into superheroes. Once the Andrew Garfield movie came out, she began to become more interested in the character. Her affection for Spider-Man only grew after landing the part in Homecoming. Now she’s very open about the fact that he’s her favorite superhero.
She even agrees that Tom Holland is the perfect person to play him.
Zendaya explained in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, “It’s good to know that the person who gets to play your favorite superhero is actually a nice dude. He loves doing this.” Obviously, no Marvel Cinematic Universe actor is going to talk down about their own movie and hero. It’s not as if Chris Evans is telling everyone his favorite superhero is Superman, while playing Captain America. But, it definitely seems like Zendaya (and Tom’s) admiration for the character is completely real. It’s not the entire basis for their friendship but it has to be at least a tiny part.
They Don't Take Vacations Together
At the height of the rumors concerning Zendaya and Tom Holland's supposed love life, there were ton of stories as evidence. Various tabloids reported that Tom was sneaking in and out of Zendaya’s house, they were having "sleepovers" and that Zendaya introduced Tom to her family and it “went well.” All of which made the two sound like teenagers, rather than the two grown (but young) adults they are in real-life. One of the biggest rumors was that they were taking vacations together to get some private time. The traveling trysts were first reported by People. Zendaya wasted little time taking the publication to task.
Zendaya posted one a link to one of the many stories talking about her dating life with Tom and the supposed vacations they took together. She made it obvious that she thought that the whole claim was ridiculous. According to Zendaya, she hasn’t been on a vacation in years, let alone with Tom. Tom replied to her post, asking if the press tour counts as a vacation. Implying that not only is the report false, but that he hasn’t taken a vacation either. Weirdly the very public “shaming” didn’t stop people from reporting that the two were in some secret romance. If anything, certain rumormongers became even more convinced that the relationship was real and even more secret than before. Yet, Zendaya isn’t definitely afraid to mix things up.
They Had A "Fight" About What Shoes To Wear On A Plane
Tom and Zendaya are the best of the friends and they are no stranger to a bit of harmless bickering. Just like any two buddies, Zendaya and Tom have gotten into silly arguments that matter to no one but themselves. The fact they’re famous just means these innocent spats happen in the public eye. The two frequently trade barbs on social media, yet one of the most “heated” discussions was during a radio interview with the BBC. The two appeared Greg James’ show on Radio 1 to promote Spider-Man: Homecoming. During the course of the interview the two had to play one James’ typical radio show games, Rage Against the Answer Machine, where the interviewees have to answer rapid fire questions.
After being asked what she wears on an airplane, Zendaya replied a tracksuit and some “slides,” British slang for flip-flops. Tom was incensed. “You’re supposed to wear boots," he said in mock outrage. "What if you crash on a desert island, you don’t wanna have slides on!" In a way, Tom does have a point. Flip-flops would be rather inconvenient on a desert island or any high-pressure situation. Yet if a plane crashes, there’s bound to be much bigger problems than what is on your feet. Zendaya has the right of it. It’s better to be comfortable and hope for the best, than prepare for the worst and a plane crash, feet first.
They Both Have A Background In Dance
Long before Spider-Man: Homecoming premiered, Tom and Zendaya made their friendship known in an adorable online video. During filming for the movie, the pair, along with choreographer Deja Carter, did a small dance routine for the Typo Dance challenge. The whole thing started by a young YouTuber in 2016, performing his own routine. However, Zendaya and Tom’s rendition far surpassed the original, in terms of popularity.
The video was just a harmless bit of fun, but it did show of the pair's impressive dance skills. Tom got his start in ballet (and stage) dancing. After all, he did play Billy Elliot, one of the most famous (fictional) ballet dancers. Zendaya, meanwhile, had been performing and training in dance from a very young age. One of her earliest jobs was a backup dancer and she’s trained in hip-hop and hula. Zendaya also appeared on Dancing with the Stars in 2013. She didn’t win, possibly because the viewers realized that her being apart of the competition was highly unfair for the more amateur celebrities. Yet she did come in second place, losing out to Kellie Pickler.
Tom and Zendaya aren’t just one of the most adorable pairs of friends in Hollywood. They’re also among the lightest on their feet.
They Went To the Oscars Together
Tom and Zendaya are probably both far off from getting their own Oscars. The Academy has never really recognized the work of big budget movies, outside special effects. At this point in their careers, Zendaya and Tom’s main focus is being in blockbusters. They’re high in-demand and worth it. They may not have Oscars, but both actors have attended the Oscars ceremony and sat together. During 2018’s Oscar presentation, Tom Holland presented the award for Best Visual Effects with Jane the Virgin’s Gina Rodriquez. Zendaya, meanwhile, introduced the performance for “This is Me” from the film The Greatest Showman. “This is Me” was nominated for Best Original Song, which it did not win. However, Zendaya probably would’ve been in attendance anyway as she was one of the stars of The Greatest Showman.
It's just two friends hanging out, no big deal. People, in their never-ending quest to prove there’s something more between Zendaya and Tom than just friendship, spotted the two sitting together during the ceremony. They als attended and left the Vanity Fair party together. Considering the seating arrangements of the Oscars are something that's highly organized, fans might not want to read too much into that seating. The party is a little bit more notable. Yet, all it really means is that they attended a work function together. They were probably the only two who knew each other, in a sea full of celebrities.
There Were Rumors They Were Living Together
The romantic rumors surrounding Zendaya and Tom shift between him getting ready to propose marriage any day and it just being a casual thing. Early on there was one big rumor that things had heated up very quickly. Hollywood.com was reporting that before either actor had turned 21, they were living together in L.A.. More specifically Tom had moved into Zendaya’s house. Tom was “smitten” with Zendaya and had moved all his things into her “new mansion.”
The reports seem to be completely unsubstantiated. There’s been no rumors of the two living together, before or since. This all that has popped up. In fact, Tom’s main residence does appear to still be in the UK, even though his star is very much on the rise in Hollywood.While Zendaya doesn't own a mansion, she has a five-bedroom house in north Los Angeles that she purchased early last year. The only slightly true thing about the rumor is that given the closeness, Tom probably does visit Zendaya quite often and might even stay at her house. Yet, it is possible for a man and woman to spend time together, under the same roof, alone and there be no romantic connection between them.
They're Only A Couple Months Apart In Age
Peter Parker is just a teenager in the MCU. It is a bit exhausting how every cinematic reboot of Spider-Man takes him back to high school. Little of the character’s history has been spent in high school in the comics and Spider-Man can be an actual man. Yet, Tom Holland manages to take to the role of teenage Peter Parker quite well. While Holland is the youngest lead in the MCU’s cast, he’s not a teenager himself. When Tom was first cast as Peter Parker for Captain America: Civil War, he was just 19 years old. But, by the time of Homecoming he was 20. Now he’s 21 and soon to be 22. Zendaya, meanwhile, is younger than Tom but only by the slimmest margins. Tom Holland was born on June 1st, 1996. Zendaya was born September 1, 1996. The two are literally only 3 months apart from each other.
Their friendship probably goes far beyond their closeness in ages.
However, Peter’s love interest in Homecoming, Liz Allan, was played Laura Harrier is almost 30 years old, at 28. It must have been slightly comforting to have someone on set that was exactly his age for Tom and probably Zendaya too. Hollywood is a weird place where 30-year-olds can play high schoolers for years. One of the great things about Spider-Man: Homecoming is that they got actors who looked and acted like real teenagers.
Tom Holland Is Zendaya's Biggest Hype Man
Zendaya praises Tom in a lot in official interviews. On social media, she’s far more dismissive to her best friend, but in a joking manner. Tom always keeps the love incoming to Zendaya. Tom Holland’s main job is being Spider-Man, but has a very dedicated side hobby praising Zendaya and being her hype man whenever possible on the internet. Twitter user @daysamoon collected together some of Tom’s most glowing “reviews” of Zendaya’s various looks. From casual selfies to Zendaya’s much more done up look at the Met Gala, Tom always has some compliment ready for Zendaya on Instagram. He’s called her “a queen” multiple times and given her several fire emojis for rating her selfie game, the universally recognized symbol of high praise for selfies.
The fever to confirm if Zendaya and Tom are dating is ludicrous, especially since they’ve been so obvious about denying it. Yet, it’s not too hard to blame those who think the two are more than friends, given how much Tom praises Zendaya on very public platforms. Friends can definitely compliment each other and not be romantic. However, if this how much attention Tom pays to all his friends, he might just be the best and kindest friend in the history of time.
They Took A Picture With Spider-Man
Stars are just like us, as they get excited about and take pictures with statues that look like famous pop culture figures. Tom Holland is Spider-Man. If he wanted a picture with Spider-Man, he could just take a mirror selfie. However, when Zendaya and Tom were strolling the streets of Los Angeles, they found a statute of Spider-Man outside a comic book shop and immediately took a picture with it. Just Jared Jr. reports that the two were actually shopping for comic books when they stumbled upon the Spider-Man statue.
The statue, which was located outside the store Golden Apple Comics, wasn’t just a simple statue either.
The decoration was done by in tribute to Spider-Man: Homecoming. The statue was wearing a blue hoodie and yellow jacket, reminiscent of Peter’s look during the Washington D.C. trip with his high school’s decathlon team. It’s such a small moment that really means nothing in the grand scheme of things. Although it does prove that Tom and Zendaya are very down-to-earth and truly do love and respect the character of Spider-Man. They’re really enjoying themselves as being part of the franchise. In addition, Golden Apple definitely isn’t complaining that the two are giving them some very public and high-profile free publicity.
Zendaya Probably Won't Become the MJ of the MCU
Zendaya's role in Spider-Man Homecoming was written and figured out long before Tom Holland her struck up a friendship. Before the movie’s release, there were a ton of rumors that Zendaya was playing Mary Jane Watson and that her character’s name, Michelle was a code. In Homecoming, it was revealed that while Zendaya was just Michelle BUT her “friends” call her MJ. Given the end of Homecoming, which sees Liz Allan move away, it would seem like future sequels are setting up a Michelle and Peter romance. Zendaya’s MJ will become the MJ of the MCU. Yet, according to MCU mastermind, Kevin Feige that’s not necessarily the case.
In an interview with IGN, Feige explained that Michelle being MJ was really just a homage. It didn't mean anything for the future of her character. Mary Jane Watson could very well be introduced in the MCU. Yet the possibility of romance isn't completely dead. "She's not Mary-Jane Watson," Feige said. "Is she going to date Peter? Are they going to fall in love? She seems to be intrigued with him. There's a nice chemistry there. Who knows what will happen in the future films?" Zendaya and Tom don’t have and may never have an off-screen romance. Yet their characters could have a relationship in the Spider-Man: Homecoming sequel (whatever it’s officially called) or beyond. But, Michelle isn’t THAT MJ.
---
Is there anything about Zendaya and Tom Holland's friendship that we missed? Sound off in the comments below!