Zendaya shares quality Tom Holland has that she wants to 'inherit more of'
Zendaya and Tom Holland have become one of Hollywood’s most adored couples, with fans captivated by their genuine affection, playful chemistry and the way they have managed to keep much of their relationship away from the spotlight.
This week, however, the couple found themselves back in the headlines as they took part in media interviews connected to the latest Spider-Man project.
During an interview with French YouTuber HugoDécrypte, they were asked about their relationship and the qualities they admire most in one another.
Zendaya was asked which of Tom’s personality traits she would like to inherit, and she was quick to highlight one quality that stands out to her: his commitment to respect and kindness.
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“Something I am always impressed with Tom about, which I feel like I want to inherit more of... you’re a big stickler for respect and kindness,” she said.
The actress and singer explained that Holland is someone who is very clear about his values and the boundaries he sets with others.
She praised the way he knows what he believes is right, both for himself and for the people around him, and said she admires how protective he can be when it comes to those principles.
Zendaya added that Holland’s ability to stand up for what he believes in is one of the things she respects most about him, describing him as someone who genuinely cares about treating people well.
Holland responded with his trademark humour, jokingly pushing back when the conversation turned to relationship advice.
“Speaking of boundaries, I’m not going to share my most valuable piece of advice I got from Zendaya,” he teased.
The pair reportedly first grew close in 2016 while filming Spider-Man: Homecoming, where they played love interests Peter Parker and MJ.
Although their on-screen chemistry quickly became a talking point among fans, Zendaya and Holland kept their personal relationship private for several years, choosing to focus on their careers while avoiding the constant attention that often comes with being a celebrity couple.
It was not until July 2021 that their romance became public after photographs of the pair sharing a kiss circulated online.
Since then, they have continued to maintain a relatively low profile, occasionally offering fans glimpses into their relationship while keeping the details of their private life largely out of the public eye.
In a 2024 interview with Vanity Fair, Zendaya opened up about working alongside Holland, describing their on-screen dynamic as 'strangely comfortable'.
The pair, who have been publicly linked since 2021, said they share a level of trust that makes acting together feel natural.
“It’s like second nature,” she said. “You feel extra safe with the person you’re acting beside. I love working with him.
"He’s so talented and so passionate about what he does. He always gives things one thousand percent, even when he’s completely exhausted.”
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 rumours 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 rumours 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, Spider-Man, Entertainment
Thomas Bamford