Tom Holland Wanted to Propose to Zendaya ‘for a While’ but They ‘Won’t Rush a Wedding’ (Exclusive)

Tom Holland was very keen to make it official with Zendaya!

After news of the couple’s engagement broke, a source told PEOPLE that the Crowded Room star, 28, had been “wanting to propose [to the Challengers actress] for a while now.”

“He’s always been crazy about her. He always knew she was the one,” the source said, adding, “They have something very special.”

The source said “everyone close to them knew the engagement was happening,” just not when. After Holland got down on one knee over the holidays and asked Zendaya to marry him, he was eager to share the news, telling friends about the engagement around New Year’s.

As for their future wedding plans, the source said the two want to take some time to simply enjoy their engagement first.

“They will just enjoy things for now and won’t rush a wedding. They are both busy with work projects,” the insider explained.

The source said Holland could not be happier, noting, “Tom’s always had this sweet way of letting the world know that Zendaya is his. Now, it’s official — she really is!”

The couple first sparked engagement buzz on Sunday night, Jan. 5, when Zendaya, 28, walked the red carpet at the 2025 Golden Globes sporting a sparkling diamond ring on her lefthand ring finger.

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A family source later confirmed to PEOPLE that the Spider-Man costars — who first confirmed their off-screen romance in 2021 after they were spotted kissing in a car — are indeed engaged. According to TMZ, which was first to break the news, Holland popped the question at one of Zendaya’s family homes in the U.S. over the holidays.

Last month, Holland hinted that he had “secret” holiday plans as he shared that he would be spending Christmas with Zendaya’s family.

“I’ll be with my girlfriend’s family, which will be fun. Where we’ll be is a secret,” he said during an appearance on the Dec. 18 episode of the Dish podcast. He then joked, “[Secret] to you guys. I’ll know where we’re going.”

With the impending proposal likely in mind, the British actor went on to share that he hoped both of their families could gather together for Christmas in 2025.

“I think what we’d like to start doing is rather than spending it with each family each year is bring the families together. That’s what I think we want to do next time,” he said on the podcast. “This time, because we’re both actors, we’re terrible at organizing things, so it hasn’t happened yet. The thought’s there. The idea has been planted.” 

Holland and Zendaya have chosen to keep their relationship mostly private over the years, with both stars sharing their reasons why in interviews.

Holland told The Hollywood Reporter in June 2023, “Our relationship is something that we are incredibly protective of and we want to keep as sacred as possible. We don’t think that we owe it to anyone, it’s our thing, and it has nothing to do with our careers.”

The following month, he described his relationship with Zendaya as the thing he holds “most sacred” in life while appearing on the On Purpose with Jay Shetty podcast. “I try my best to keep it as private as possible,” he added at the time. “We both feel very strongly that that is the healthiest way to move on as a couple.”

For her part, Zendaya told Elle in August 2023 that her priority is “protecting the peace” in her relationship with her now-fiancé.

“Parts of my life, I accept, are going to be public. I can’t not be a person and live my life and love the person I love,” she told the magazine. “But also, I do have control over what I choose to share. It’s about protecting the peace and letting things be your own but also not being afraid to exist.

Source people.com