Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Lifestyle
Kate Ng

Tom Holland drops hint about how his romance with Zendaya began

Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images

Tom Holland has dropped a major hint about how his and Zendaya’s relationship blossomed.

The Spider-Man star confessed that he has “no rizz”, a term used to describe a person’s ability to attract other people.

However, he explained how he was able to develop “rizz” that eventually landed him in a romance with his co-star.

Appearing in a new Buzzfeed Celeb video, Holland, 27, said: “I have no rizz whatsoever, I have limited rizz. My brother Paddy has ultimate rizz.”

He continued to explain how his version of attraction would work and said: “I need you to fall in love with me, really, for it to work. So, long game. Probably making a movie with each other.

“Definitely helps when the characters you’re playing are falling in love with one another. You can sort of blur the lines a little bit. That’s kind of where my rizz is at.”

Fans believe Holland is referring to how he and Zendaya, 26, met while playing the roles of Peter Parker and Michelle “MJ” Jones in the 2016 Marvel film Spider-Man: Homecoming.

MJ is Peter’s love interest in the movies. Meanwhile, in real life, Holland and Zendaya first sparked rumours that they were dating in 2017.

Tom Holland and Zendaya (Getty Images)

However, it wasn’t until 2021 that the couple made their relationship Instagram official. After photographs of the pair kissing in a car were published by Page Six, Holland posted a picture of both of them on Zendaya’s birthday and called her: “My MJ.”

In December that year, they made their red carpet debut as a couple at the Hollywood premiere of Spider-Man: No Way Home. However, the couple prefers to keep their relationship private, although they do occasionally shout out one another on social media.

Gushing about the Dune star, Holland said: “She’s one of the most incredible people I’ve ever met. And I love her to bits. So to be here tonight is amazing. I’m delighted to share it with her.”

In his new Buzzfeed Celeb interview, the actor reiterated just how head-over-heels in love he is.

“I’m, you know, locked up, so I’m happy and in love,” he added.

Earlier this month, Zendaya shared rare photographs of Holland on her Instagram account for his 27th birthday.

She posted an image of Holland in the ocean, with his head submerged and his arms lifted above the water to form a heart shape with his hands. She added a red heart emoji of her own.

(Getty Images for SiriusXM)

The Euphoria star also shared a second photo of her boyfriend posing on rocks next to the ocean and included a single heart-eyed emoji.

Reflecting on the paparazzi photographs of her and Holland kissing, Zendaya told GQ that it was “quite strange and weird and confusing and invasive”.

“The equal sentiment [we both share] is just that when you really love and care about somebody, some moments or things, you wish were your own… I think loving someone is a sacred thing and something that you want to deal with and go through and experience and enjoy amongst the two people that love each other.”

Holland is currently promoting his new Apple TV+ series The Crowded Room. The Independent gave the drama two out of five stars, but described Holland as having “the doe-eyed naïf routine down pat”.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.