After Zendaya unfollowed Tom Holland on Instagram, fans went into meltdown - but the Spider-Man star has offered an explanation.
The sudden Instagram purge came right before Zendaya cleared out her “following” list, leaving many to wonder if the couple had quietly split.
One concerned fan wrote, “Whyyyy did Zendaya remove Tom from Instagram???? Mama miaaaa don't let it be...”
Another added: “Break up news is coming I fear,” while a third pleaded: “For the glory of my mother! Don't scare me like that.” But as it turned out, Zendaya was simply tidying up her account, not cutting ties.
Holland confronted the speculation in a brief exchange with a TMZ photographer. When asked: “Have you split up with Zendaya?” the actor responded clearly: “No, absolutely not.”
With that, the actor put fans at ease and reaffirmed that their relationship is very much intact.
The pair first sparked dating rumors in 2021 after years of friendship dating back to their time on Spider-Man: Homecoming in 2016. Despite the spotlight, they’ve maintained a notoriously private relationship, occasionally celebrating each other on social media.
Back in September, Zendaya set the record straight on rumors she was engaged after posting a photo that showed a ring.
She explained in a video: “I posted [the picture] 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? Like, what?!”
Away from tabloids, Tom also spoke fondly about Zendaya during his appearance on the Dish from Waitrose podcast with Nick Grimshaw and Angela Hartnett.
Joking about the professional boundaries they maintain off camera, he quipped: “Studios love it, one hotel room,” then clarified: “Separate cars to and from set. Separate drivers. We’re not crazy now. Listen, it’s work, alright?!”
But when it came to his feelings, he was full of praise: “It’s a saving grace. Yeah, best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
Tom described moments on set when you can tell your partner is right there with you: “It’s just that perfect thing when you’re on set and a director will give you a note that maybe you don’t agree with, or I know that she doesn’t particularly like, and it’s just that, like, familiar glance at each other of like, can’t wait to talk about that later.”
Zendaya echoed the sentiment in Vanity Fair, describing their on-set rapport as “strangely comfortable.”
She added: “It’s like second nature if anything. You feel extra safe with the person you’re acting beside. I love working with him,” and praised him as “so talented, and so passionate about what he does.”