Zendaya and Tom Holland continue to draw attention as one of entertainment’s most closely watched couples, admired for their easy chemistry, affectionate dynamic and the way they have kept much of their relationship private.
The pair are back in focus this week while promoting Spider-Man: Brand New Day, taking part in an interview where they were asked to reflect on each other’s best qualities.
Speaking with French YouTuber HugoDécrypte, Zendaya was asked what trait of Holland’s she would most like to take on herself. She pointed straight to the way he approaches people with consideration and firm personal standards.
“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.
Zendaya went on to explain that Holland is someone who is unwavering when it comes to his principles and the limits he draws in his relationships with others.
She said she values how strongly he sticks to what he feels is right, both for himself and for the people in his life, and noted that he is especially protective of those values.
According to Zendaya, one of Holland’s most admirable qualities is his willingness to defend what he believes in, especially when it comes to making sure people are treated properly.
Holland, meanwhile, answered in a more playful way when the subject shifted toward relationship wisdom.
“Speaking of boundaries, I’m not going to share my most valuable piece of advice I got from Zendaya,” he teased.
The two actors are said to have formed a close bond in 2016 during production on Spider-Man: Homecoming, where they starred opposite one another as Peter Parker and MJ.
Even as viewers quickly picked up on their strong on-screen connection, both stars chose to keep their off-screen relationship out of public view for years, focusing instead on work and avoiding the scrutiny that often follows high-profile couples.
Their romance did not become widely known until July 2021, when photos of them kissing were published online.
Since then, they have largely kept things understated, occasionally sharing small insights with fans while maintaining a strong sense of privacy around their personal lives.
Zendaya touched on that working relationship again in a 2024 interview with Vanity Fair, where she described acting alongside Holland as something that feels unusually natural.
The couple, who confirmed earlier this year that they had married, said the trust between them makes shared scenes come easily.
“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.”
Their story stretches back to the early days of the Spider-Man: Homecoming casting process, when the pair first met during a chemistry read.
Producer Amy Pascal has since said she warned them against getting romantically involved, mindful of the fact that earlier Spider-Man stars had also become couples away from the set.
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 in that same year, the two began appearing on one another’s Instagram accounts, prompting more speculation from fans.
At one point, an insider told People they were dating and said ‘they’ve gone on vacations with each other and try and spend as much time as possible with one another’.
Zendaya responded 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 responded, adding: “Does the press tour count?”
She also addressed the rumours in an interview with Variety, where she stressed the closeness of their friendship.
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