Tom Holland reveals his nickname for Zendaya as he shares his first impression of her
Tom Holland has revealed the sweet nickname he calls his wife, Zendaya, while also sharing his first impressions of the actress, after the couple recently tied the knot in a private ceremony.
While rumors of their romance began as early as 2017 while filming Spider-Man: Homecoming, it's thought that Holland and Zendaya began their relationship around late 2020.
The couple celebrated their wedding earlier this year, as Holland confirmed the celebration while speaking with Esquire magazine.
And while they kept the details of their nuptials largely under wraps, fans got a deeper look into their relationship during a new interview with the outlet.
Advert
Speaking about finding love with 'Zee', the nickname he gave to the Euphoria star, he said: "Our business can present very stressful situations and it’s really nice to have a bedrock of a relationship that will stand the test of time.
"We can support each other in ways that only we can, because only we understand really what it’s like to live this life, and I think that is such a luxury, because I just don’t understand how I would be able to have anything like that with anyone else."
The 30-year-old added: "So, for me, I found my person. She’s my best friend, and I’m the happiest I ever have been when I’m with her, but I also have never felt so supported and safe, ever. Period."
He also opened up about the first time the two met while filming Spider-Man: Homecoming in 2016, in which Zendaya plays Michelle Jones (MJ), the main love interest of Spider-Man.
But it seems their on-screen chemistry translated into real life, as the actor recalled: "Obviously, I was super excited at the prospect of working with her and getting to know her.
"She smashed her audition out the park and got the part before she’d even left the room. I remember when she closed the door to leave, Amy Pascal was immediately like, 'Well, she’s getting the job'."
The pair also star in the upcoming Christopher Nolan-directed film The Odyssey, in which Holland portrays Telemachus, the son of main character Odysseus, and Zendaya plays Athena.
Tom Holland and Zendaya relationship timeline
2016
Holland and Zendaya meet for the first time at a chemistry read for Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Apparently, producer Amy Pascal warned them not to date, after every other Spider-Man leading man and lady (Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst, Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone) ended up falling for each other off-screen.
Pascal later told the New York Times: “I took Tom and Zendaya aside, separately, when we first cast them and gave them a lecture.
“Don’t go there - just don’t. Try not to. It can just complicate things, you know?”
Later that year, the pair start popping up on each other’s Instagram feeds.
July 2017
An insider tells People that Holland and Zendaya are dating, adding ‘they've gone on vacations with each other and try and spend as much time as possible with one another’.
Zendaya responds on X, writing: “Wait wait...my favorite is when it says we go on vacations together HA! I haven't been on a vacation in years!”
Holland responds, adding: “Does the press tour count?”
August 2017
In a Variety interview, Zendaya again tried to put rumors of her romance with Holland to bed. She says: “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.”
February 2020
Zendaya and her Euphoria co-star Jacob Elordi are snapped by paparazzi kissing in New York. However, their romance appears to end months later.
May 2020
The Daily Mail reports that Holland is dating The Spanish Princess star Nadia Parkes, and that the pair are isolating together during the Covid-19 lockdown in Holland’s London home. They separate at some point in 2021.
July 2021
A paparazzi picture of Holland and Zendaya kissing in a car in Los Angeles drags their relationship into the public eye.
November 2021
In a GQ profile, Holland says of his relationship being made public: “We sort of felt robbed of our privacy.”
Zendaya says in the same piece: “It was quite strange and weird and confusing and invasive.
“When you really love and care about somebody, some moments or things, you wish were your own.”
February 2022
Holland shoots down rumours that he and Zendaya have bought a house together in South London.
September 2022
Zendaya refers to Holland as her boyfriend for the first time, saying she text him when she won the Emmy for lead actress in a drama series for Euphoria, becoming the youngest double winner in Emmys history.
January 2025
Holland says in a Men’s Health profile that he doesn’t walk red carpets with Zendaya ‘because it’s not my moment, it’s her moment, and if we go together, it’s about us’.
5 January 2025
Zendaya sparks engagement rumors at the Golden Globes after sporting a massive diamond on her ring finger. TMZ reports Holland had proposed between Christmas and New Year at one of Zendaya’s family homes.
February 2026
Zendaya is spotted wearing a new ring, which fans are pretty confident is a wedding ring, indicating she and Holland have secretly wed,
March 2026
Zendaya’s stylish Law Roach tells reporters at the Actor Awards: "The wedding has already happened - you missed it! It’s very true."
However, the waters are muddied as this is around the time Zendaya is promoting The Drama, a wedding-themed movie she’s starring in with Robert Pattinson.
Some fans think her wedding ring and Roach’s comment are promo for the A24 film.
April 2026
AI-generated wedding pictures of Holland and Zendaya go viral. Zendaya tells Good Morning America: “AI is really getting advanced these days. Have an eye out. It definitely tricked some family and friends of mine."
June 2026
An Esquire journalist asks Holland if he had to send clarifications to family and friends about the AI-generated wedding photos. He responds: “No, because they were all there. That’s all you’ll get on that.”
Topics: Zendaya, Tom Holland, Celebrity, Sex and Relationships, Film and TV
Mia Williams