Tom Holland has shut down rumours that he and his longtime girlfriend, Zendaya, have broken up, after she clear out the people she was following on Instagram.
The 27-year-old actor spoke candidly about his relationship status on 12 January in Los Angeles, California, when approached by a TMZ reporter. His comments came after Zendaya unfollowed everyone on her Instagram, including her boyfriend.
When approached by the TMZ reporter, Holland was asked to clear up any speculation that he and the Euphoria star had split up. In response, Holland quickly clarified that those breakup rumours weren’t true, saying: “No, absolutely not.”
Earlier this month, Zendaya first made those changes to her social media account, as she cleared her friends and colleagues out of her “following” list on Instagram. Although Zendaya isn’t following Holland on Instagram, he’s still following her.
While Zendaya never publicly addressed her decision to do the social media cleanse, it came as she’s been advertising some of her newest films. More specifically, on her Instagram earlier this month, she shared a photo of herself in the poster of her new movie, The Challengers.
“Challengers April 26th,” she wrote, referring to the film’s release date. “Wishing you all the most beautiful new year.”
In the movie, the Disney Channel alum stars as a tennis coach for her husband, as he’s preparing for a match against her character’s former partner. The film was previously set to come out in September 2023, but the release date was pushed back due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, which didn’t end until November 2023.
Holland’s clarification about his relationship status also comes months after Zendaya denied speculation that she was engaged. More specifically, when the Emmy Award-winner published a selfie – exposing what appeared to be a pearl ring with a studded band on her finger – in September 2023, viewers were quick to guess the two Hollywood stars were getting hitched.
However, Zendaya silenced those engagement rumours in a since-removed Instagram video, saying: “I can’t post anything, you guys. I posted it for my hat. Like not for the ring on my right hand, you guys, seriously.”
“You think that’s how I would drop the news? You think, like, what,” the Dune star quipped. In a follow-up post, she also shared a full-body picture, which featured a Golden State Warriors hat and the ring reflected in the body of a car. Her caption read: “Let me just put the full body back so y’all can relax lmao.”
Zendaya and Holland first sparked rumours that they were dating in 2017, after starring in Spider-Man: Homecoming. However, they didn’t confirm their romance until July 2021, when photos of them kissing in a car were published. Over the years, they have opted to keep their relationship out of the spotlight, aside from the occasional public outings together and sweet tributes to each other on social media.
While dating Holland, The Greatest Showman star has opened up about the lack of privacy she’s had in the public eye. During an interview with Elle in August 2023, she said that while she appreciated the love and interest from her fanbase, she’s adopted a “you get what you get mentality” in terms of divulging specifics about her relationships.
“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,” she explained. “It’s about protecting the peace and letting things be your own but also not being afraid to exist. You can’t hide. That’s not fun, either. I am navigating it more than ever now.”
Holland has also previously spoken out about why he and his girlfriend prefer to keep their romance out of the public eye. “Our relationship is something that we are incredibly protective of and we want to keep as sacred as possible,” he told The Hollywood Reporter in June 2022. “We don’t think that we owe it to anyone, it’s our thing, and it has nothing to do with our careers.”
