Tom Holland Breaks His Silence On Zendaya Breakup Rumors
By Afouda Bamidele on January 12, 2024 at 8:53 PM EST
Tom Holland is opening up to his fans on the relationship with Zendaya.
Weeks after breakup rumors swirled about the fan-favorite couple, the "Uncharted" actor is putting an end to the speculations and addressing why his girlfriend unfollowed him on Instagram.
Tom Holland Assures He Is Still Dating Zendaya
Holland was stopped by paps while running errands in Los Angeles on Friday and asked about the state of his relationship with the "Dune" actress. When asked directly if he and Zendaya had broken up, the British actor set the record straight, saying, "No, no, no. Absolutely...not."
He seemed in good spirits as he strolled with a pal before getting into his vehicle and zooming off, as seen in footage from TMZ.
The short yet effective answer is sure to put the minds of their fans to rest after noticing something alarming on social media. We reported that Zendaya started the new year with a sort of social media cleanse that included her boyfriend.
Five days into the new year, Zendaya unfollowed everyone on Instagram, including Holland, causing tongues to wag. What made the move even more suspicious was that the 27-year-old was still following his girlfriend. Before the cleanse, the two-time Emmy Award winner had mostly been inactive on social media.
She only came out of her hiatus on January 2 with a promotion poster for her upcoming movie, "Challengers." As expected, Zendaya unfollowing her boyfriend of about two years caused quite a ruckus online. One fan penned, "I saw that Zendaya unfollowed Tom Holland. Pls tell me romance isn't dead, y'all,” while another remarked, "The biggest news right now is that Zendaya unfollowed everybody. The look of a boss 🤔 or yell just double cross her and now it is time to shine this bigger than I thought."
Others, however, speculated that it was no big deal and probably a preparation to promote her upcoming projects, as she also unfollowed her family. The breakup rumors came months after Zendaya caused fans to believe she was engaged to Holland after sporting a unique, expensive-looking pearl ring on her wedding ring finger.
She left the internet gagged with excitement with a picture of herself on social media that many mistook for a relationship update.
However, the "Euphoria" actress was quick to shut down the tongue-wagging. In an Instagram Story update, she thrashed the engagement rumors, saying:
"I can't post anything, you guys! I posted it for my hat. Like not for the ring on my right finger, you guys! Seriously, you think that's how I would drop the deuce? You think? Like What?"
A Timeline Of Zendaya & Tom Holland's Romance
The duo started out as on-screen lovers after they were paired as Peter Parker and Mary Jane in Marvel's "Spider-Man" franchise in 2016. However, their friendship blossomed off-screen into a relationship throughout the three sequels of the superhero movie.
It wasn't until July 2021 that it was confirmed that they were an item after they were photographed smooching inside a car. By September 2021, they came out with their relationship on Instagram in celebration of Zendaya's 25th birthday. Holland gave a heartwarming shoutout to his girlfriend, writing, "My MJ, have the happiest of birthdays. Gimme a call when you're [sp] up xxx," to which Zendaya replied, "Calling now ❤️."
Despite having such a public relationship, Zendaya and Holland have maintained a low profile, with details of their romance barely making headlines. The "Shake It Up" actress explained the intention behind their privacy in an interview, saying:
"Parts of my life, I accept, are going to be public. I can't not be a person and live my life and love the person I love. But also, I do have control over what I choose to share."
Holland also shared a similar sentiment in a separate interview, saying, "Our 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."