Zendaya reveals ‘boyfriend’ Tom Holland was the first person she texted after her Emmys win

The ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ co-stars have been dating since July 2021

Zendaya gave a special shoutout to her boyfriend Tom Holland after she became the youngest two-time award winner at the 2022 Emmys.

On Monday, the 26-year-old actress received the Emmy award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Rue Bennett in the HBO show Euphoria. During her acceptance speech, Zendaya paid tribute to the “incredible actresses” nominated in the category, adding that she felt “so honoured to be beside you”.

“Thank you to the incredible, incredible cast and crew of Euphoria,” she continued. “Thank you for making such a safe space to make this very difficult show. I love you all so much.”

The Disney Channel alum also thanked Euphoria creator Sam Levinson for “believing in me, even in moments when I didn’t believe in myself.”

She then gave a shoutout to her “friends and family, some of which are here tonight.”

While the singer’s mother joined her daughter at the Emmys in Los Angeles, Tom Holland was noticeably not present at the ceremony. The Spider-Man star is currently in New York City filming for his role in the Apple TV+ series The Crowded Room. But that didn’t stop Zendaya from subtly mentioning her famous boyfriend at the awards show.

During her post-win interview with E! News, Zendaya was asked who the first person she texted was after taking home the award for best lead actress in a drama series.

“I didn’t have to text my mom because my mom was already there. She’s here tonight, which is very special,” Zendaya said.

“And I text[ed] my boyfriend,” she added with a coy smile.

Although Tom Holland and Zendaya didn’t start dating until July 2021, the two first became friends while working together on the set of Spider-Man: Homecoming in 2016. Just one year later, the two began making headlines for their fun-loving relationship, especially when they went head-to-head in an episode of Lip Sync Battle that saw Holland perform a show-stopping routine to Rihanna’s “Umbrella”.

Shortly after, fans speculated that the two were secretly dating after it was reported Zendaya and Holland have “gone on vacations with each other”, but Zendaya quickly dismissed those rumours on social media.

In July 2021, any speculation that the pair were more than friends was quickly confirmed when Zendaya and Holland were pictured kissing in a car. While the two have since maintained their privacy as a couple, the actors have shared a few glimpses into their relationship on social media.

For Zendaya’s birthday last September, Holland shared a sweet tribute to his girlfriend on Instagram. “My MJ, have the happiest of birthdays,” he captioned the photo, which showed Holland in his Spider-Man costume as Zendaya snapped a mirror selfie. “Gimme a call when your up xxx”

Meanwhile, Zendaya shared a smiling black-and-white picture of the couple to her Instagram for Holland’s birthday this past June. “Happiest of birthdays to the one who makes me the happiest <3,” she wrote.

The Euphoria actress walked the Emmys red carpet outside the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Monday night wearing a floor-length strapless black Valentino gown. She accessorised the look with a diamond necklace and wore her hair in a half-up, half-down style.

Inside the awards ceremony, Emmys host Kenan Thompson cracked a joke about Leonardo DiCaprio and Zendaya when he told the audience that the 26-year-old actress was “too old” to date the Oscar winner.

“Twenty-six is a weird age in Hollywood. You’re old enough to play a highschooler but too old to date Leonardo DiCaprio,” the comedian said, as Zendaya buried her head in her hands to hide her reaction.

Read here for the six biggest moments from the 2022 Emmys, and see the full list of surprises and snubs here.