A Complete Timeline Of Zendaya's Relationships

Fame comes at a hefty price. And most times, celebrities have to pay by sharing their private lives with the world. For someone who likes to keep their business — especially matters of love — under wraps as Zendaya does, this complex situation means enduring a barrage of true or false gossip. The 25-year-old, who has grabbed the spotlight with recent stellar performances in the 2021 sci-fi film "Dune" and Marvel's "Spider-Man" trilogy, is forever making headlines for the supposed happenings of her dating life. Even though the star has spoken in the past about prioritizing work over love — "I don't have time to go out and get to know somebody," she told Complex in 2015 — it hasn't curbed the chatter around the people she goes out with. Whatever her experiences, they seem to have shaped her perspective towards relationships rather maturely. On the subject of infidelity, Zendaya once related how she was "anti being in a committed relationship when you're young and people are learning ... they make bad decisions sometimes ... " (per Entertainment Tonight).

From athletes to singers and fellow actors, Zendaya's alleged romantic profile boasts of great variety — and might we say, supremely talented men. Well, that's only fitting, given that Zendaya has made history at the Emmys herself. Word on the block is, the current man on her arm is the "very charismatic" Spidey superhero Tom Holland (via InStyle). Here's a look at the string of famous names Zendaya has been paired with to date.

Great romances are born of friendships. So when rumor mills churned out buzz of pals Zendaya and Trevor Jackson dating about a decade ago, people lapped it up readily. The talented acting-singing duo were memorably seen together on screen in 2013. Zendaya appeared as Jackson's romantic interest in the music video for his debut single, "Like We Grown." Their history goes further back, though. Zendaya and Jackson are both Disney alumni; Zendaya came onto the scene in 2010 as Rocky Blue in the sitcom "Shake It Up," while Jackson made his presence felt with the 2012 film "Let It Shine." Though the two never co-starred in any Disney productions as kids, they sure were snapped hanging together as grown-ups several times, all the time strictly maintaining they were friends.

At Jackson's 18th birthday in 2014, the pair brushed away rumors around the nature of their relationship. Jackson, who Zendaya called her "best friend in the whole world," told HipHollywood, "We be laughing every time we hear it. ... I can understand why people think that, because we are really close." But besides once publicly wishing each other a Valentine's Day, Jackson did hint that the possibility of him dating Zendaya wasn't entirely zero — "If it happens, it happens," he told J-14. A year later, Zendaya told Complex that she had known Jackson since she was 12 and that he was "definitely squad, not bae."

Talk of Zendaya dating pro football player Odell Beckham Jr. surfaced in 2016 after the duo showed up at the Grammys afterparty together, arms linked. This out-of-the-blue pairing sent murmurs of a romance rippling through fans as well as the media. At the bash hosted by Universal Music Group, reported E! News, the rumored couple were "maintaining a very flirty vibe," according to a source. People stated that Zendaya and Beckham were "stuck together like glue" at the event, and went on to confirm that the young stars were indeed dating. The pair later turned up at the Republic Records Grammy Awards afterparty too, accompanied by Zendaya's father, who was confronted by paps asking about his daughter's relationship. He said, "There's no relationship. They're just friends," before adding that for Beckham, that was an "audition" night. 

Zendaya echoed her father's words in an interview soon after, saying that even if their relationship "does progress," Beckham would have to go through daddy dearest first. Later in the year, Zendaya was snapped sitting courtside at a Knicks game with none other than her rumored beau Beckham. Per Seventeen, the couple seemed to be having a fun time together. But Zendaya stamped out the gossip, claiming she met Beckham at the game coincidentally. She told Extra, "Literally if I show up anywhere with anyone that automatically happens." Well, accident or no accident, the two sure did make a stunning pair! 

Speculation around the tight friendship between Zendaya and British heartthrob Tom Holland may have come to a boil recently, but it's long been bubbling, since the time they were first paired opposite each other for the 2017 superhero film "Spider-Man: Homecoming." The Marvel film, which brought Zendaya and Holland together on screen as the iconic pair of MJ and Peter Parker, lay the groundwork for romance to bloom between the talented actors. As per People, a source said that the colleagues supposedly began going out when "Spider-Man" was being filmed, but kept their relationship on the down-low to avoid unwarranted public attention. It was reported that they took holidays together and shared good compatibility. 

However, as with most other rumored relationships, Zendaya made light of the theories around her love life. A tweet she posted in 2017 poked fun at reports of her taking vacations with Holland: "I haven't been on a vacation in years!" she wrote, tagging Holland, who asked if the press tour for their new film counted as a getaway. Though buzz of their romance was strong, Holland at the time pointedly referred to Zendaya as a friend, telling People she was "so great and amazing" and helped him find his way around fame. That same year, Zendaya opened up to Vogue about breaking up with her "first love" after four years of dating. 

In a totally unprecedented development, even as rumors of Zendaya and Tom Holland brewed, reports surfaced indicating that the 25-year-old was actually linking up with her "Euphoria" co-star Jacob Elordi. According to Us Weekly, Zendaya and Elordi met in 2018 on the set of their teen drama series that premiered with euphoric success (we couldn't not!) on HBO. It is believed that Elordi split from his girlfriend and "Kissing Booth" co-star Joey King after about two years of dating, allegedly after clinching a role on "Euphoria" (via Capital FM). He played Nate Jacobs, while Zendaya depicted the main character, Rue Bennett, on the show. 

In 2019, Zendaya and Elordi reportedly jetted off to Greece for a vacation, fanning the dating rumors that surrounded them. Sources claimed, "They looked like they were getting a little cozy." Per a report by Us Weekly, the youth sensations were spotted out and about again later that year, catching a movie together at a Los Angeles cinema. Well, it's pretty normal for friends to go to the movies, isn't it? But the romance narrative was given a major spin when in November 2019, it was reported that Zendaya had accompanied Elordi to his native Australia over the Thanksgiving holiday (via Just Jared). It is worth considering, however, that both actors did mark their attendance at the GQ Men of the Year Awards, which was being held in Sydney as well. 

As rumors of Jacob Elordi and Zendaya seeing each other peaked, especially after their little holiday to Australia in 2019, the "Swinging Safari" actor introduced a peculiar twist in the tale. Speaking to GQ Australia for an interview published in December that year, Elordi reflected on the nature of his relationship with Zendaya, asserting, "she's like my sister." He did not, however, hold back on heaping praises on his "Euphoria" castmate. "She's super dope to work with. She's an incredible artist," he said of Zendaya, adding that everybody working on the hit drama series was very close. Zendaya, for her part, called Elordi her "best friend" while presenting the Australian actor an honor at the American Australian Association Arts Awards (per E! News). 

While their declarations should have retired the dating rumors, the couple's cutesy PDA-filled outings kept "Euphoria" fans rooting for their on-screen favorites Nate Jacobs and Rue Bennett. Entertainment Tonight reported that the rumored lovebirds hung out together in New York City for a day of grocery shopping — Elordi was even snapped sweetly kissing Zendaya on her head. A pure "aww" moment! However, neither party has ever confirmed anything. Speaking on the rumor mills linking her to different guys, Zendaya once told Complex, "Any male that I've ever been around in my life, if they follow me on Twitter, if they look at me, if they breathe the same air as me, we've dated."

The Tom Holland rumors never really died down during the brief period that Zendaya was believed to have secretly dated Jacob Elordi. But after Elordi began seeing model Kaia Gerber in 2020 (per Seventeen), gossip circled back to Zendaya's old flame. In the intervening period, Zendaya and Holland had co-starred again in the 2019 sequel "Spider-Man: Far From Home." (They regrouped a third time for "Spider-Man: No Way Home" in 2021.) Years after the speculation sparked, the love affair between the Marvel co-stars was seemingly confirmed when Zendaya and Holland were snapped kissing in July 2021. According to Page Six, pictures showed the duo getting intimate while driving around Los Angeles. 

Social media erupted over this fresh development in the couple's love saga, but the people in question weren't too pleased. Disapproving the invasion of their privacy, Zendaya told GQ "that when you really love and care about somebody, some moments or things, you wish were your own." Interestingly, the star duo was advised against doing exactly what they are believed to be doing. "Spider-Man" film producer Amy Pascal told The New York Times that back when the duo had just been cast, she gave them a lecture about how dating each other could "complicate things." They ignored her ... and aren't we all the more blessed for it? We mean, c'mon — don't we all remember how Holland literally paused an interview to watch his lady love arrive at their film premiere? Swoon-worthy! 

Is it even official if it's not Instagram-official? Though Zendaya and her Spidey-love Tom Holland haven't confirmed they are dating in as many words, their adorable social media PDA leaves no doubt about the close relationship they share. Holland sent scores of fans into a tizzy when, in September 2021, he dropped a precious birthday wish for Zendaya, referring to her as "My MJ." Since this initial declaration, there have been several more. A month later, Holland — like the supportive boyfriend we imagine him to be — gave his ladylove a shoutout with a stunning picture of her from the premiere of her movie "Dune." Most recently, Zendaya melted hearts everywhere with a closeup shot of herself with Holland — or as she called him, "the one who makes me the happiest." 

This fresh burst of digital romance prompted us to dig deeper into the times these A-listers starred on each other's feeds (and sent flutters across Insta). Back in 2016, Holland had shared a sweet Sunday picture of lounging in the pool with Zendaya, which has gained new meaning among fan clubs since the two became an official item. Then in 2019, the "Uncharted" actor tagged Zendaya on his ... ahem, crotch in a group picture. Zendaya commented, attributing her strange tag placement to Holland not knowing how to work the app. There sure seems to be no dearth of fun and laughter in this relationship. Team Tomdaya all the way!