“My MJ,” Tom Holland wrote at the start of his birthday message to Zendaya on Sept. 1 while sharing a behind-the-scenes photo of them during a Spider-Man film. In the pic, Tom, 25, sits in the Spidey suit, his face covered with cuts. Meanwhile, Zendaya leans over his shoulder, flashes a smile, and takes a picture with a retro camera. “Have the happiest of birthdays,” wrote Holland. “Gimme a call when your (sic) up. XXX.” (Update: Zendaya responded with “Calling now [heart emoji.])
Tom’s message – as expected – made fans lose it in the comments section: “OH MY GOD, THIS IS SO ADORABLE.” “Awwww,” “YALL, IM CRYIN.” “Y’all are the cutest.” “ok stop- this is the best birthday present a person can ever have.” “I think I just had a minor heart attack.” “THIS IS SO CUTEEEE OMG, I GONNA CRY.” “Omg, the cutest couple I’ve been shipping since 2019.” Some corrected Tom’s spelling (“I hate to be that person but YOU’RE”), but the majority of the comments were filled with glee and joy. “MY MJ seriously why do you try to kill all your fans at 9 am?”
Tom and Zendaya have been subject to romance rumors since they starred together in 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming. While Tom has been romantically linked to others in the past, he and Zendaya seemingly confirmed the rumors in July, after they were photographed kissing at a red light while driving around Los Angeles. With the cat – or in this case, spider – out of the bag, the two seemed more and more comfortable with showing their love in public. Shortly after the kissing photos hit the internet, the two were photographed on a dinner date together at Gala Thai.
“[Zendaya and Tom] were super nice. They ate at the restaurant for about an hour,” an eyewitness told HollywoodLife. “Zendaya and Tom were laughing together and looked very comfortable and at ease.” Towards the end of August, the couple attended the wedding of Josh Florez and his new wife, Karina. In a photo taken by a mutual friend, Zendaya leaned in close while Tom wrapped his arm around her.
Zendaya reflected on her tenure on the Spider-Man movies – and working alongside. “When we did the first movie, I was 19. It’s been pretty special to have grown up together,” she said in a July 9 interview with E!’s Daily Pop. She said they were “taking the time to enjoy the moment, being with each other, and being so grateful for that experience.” With the upcoming Spider-Man: No Way Home possibly being the last Spider-Man movie for a while, Zendaya said it was “kind of bittersweet.” Well, even if she’s no longer playing the character, she’ll always be Tom’s MJ.