People Have “Second-Hand Embarrassment” For Zendaya After A Clip Of Tom Holland Ignoring Her Attempt To Flirt With Him Resurfaced Online

  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

By now, Tom Holland and Zendaya are undeniably one of the most beloved couples in Hollywood, with the two going public with their romance in 2021.

Closeup of Tom Holland and Zendaya on the red carpet for Spider-Man
Variety / Penske Media via Getty Images

However, their love story goes back much further, and it actually seems as though the stars were besotted with one another from the moment they first met.

Closeup of Tom Holland and Zendaya
Albert L. Ortega / Getty Images

Tom and Zendaya started working together in 2016 when they were cast as Peter Parker and MJ in Marvel’s Spider-Man reboot.

The cast of Spider-Man
Robert Marquardt via Getty

And it was during the promo tour for Spider-Man: Homecoming the following year that fans started to speculate that there was something more going on between them.

Closeup of Tom Holland and Zendaya
Karwai Tang / WireImage

As their offscreen chemistry became palpable, People reported in July of that year that Tom and Zendaya were officially a couple but trying to keep it “private.”

Zendaya and Tom Holland
Fotonoticias / FilmMagic

At the time, the costars laughed off the reports and insisted that they were just “best friends.”

The cast of "Spider-Man"
Rob Kim / Getty Images

But since they finally confirmed their relationship two years ago, a whole bunch of clips from this 2017 press tour have resurfaced online — and it’s pretty clear that even if they weren’t actually together at this point, they definitely had a huge crush on each other.

Closeup of Tom Holland and Zendaya looking at a phone sitting at a table of food at an event
Jeff Kravitz / FilmMagic

In fact, Zendaya in particular often goes viral for these old clips as fans share their shock at how obvious it was that she was “down bad” for Tom — and the most recent one to emerge online is so overt that viewers have admitted to having “second-hand embarrassment” for the star.

Closeup of Zendaya
Nbc / NBCU Photo Bank / NBCUniversal via Getty Images

The clip has been taken from a press junket with French media for Spider-Man: Homecoming in June 2017, and Zendaya is sitting next to Tom. While the interviewer asks a question, Zendaya glances over at Tom before pulling down her cropped jeans.

Zendaya passing Tom
Nurphoto / NurPhoto via Getty Images

Once she has caught his attention, she appears to reference an inside joke by doing a dance move that Tom then copies. Clearly thrilled by his response, Zendaya does a second elaborate move, and Tom looks over at her and politely laughs.

TikTok @toomhollande / Via tiktok.com

Going in for the kill, Zendaya then performs a third, even more dramatic gesture — only for Tom to ignore it. Distracted by the interview, Tom leaves Zendaya hanging as he ignores her and says to the reporter: “Sorry, I didn’t hear the question.”

Closeup of Zendaya
Afp Contributor / AFP via Getty Images

Needless to say, fans have been left mortified on Zendaya’s behalf, with one person quote-tweeting the video on X, formerly known as Twitter, and writing: “I don’t even know how to express how physically devastated the second hand embarrassment has me feeling rn i need a min.”

i don’t even know how to express how physically devastated the second hand embarrassment has me feeling rn i need a min https://t.co/TcbkXCDPuf

— simgurusoso🌈🇵🇸 (@SoSoUnheard) November 14, 2023

Twitter @SoSoUnheard / Twitter @diorsvision / TikTok @toomhollande / Via Twitter: @SoSoUnheard

One more echoed: “she just kept going omg i cant stomach watching this.” And somebody else tweeted: “if i’m ever down this bad someone please spray me with a fire hose.”

she just kept going omg i cant stomach watching this https://t.co/CkJ6M62lAB

— 👩🏾‍💻 (@isirspov) November 14, 2023

Twitter @isirspov / Twitter @diorsvision / TikTok @toomhollande / Via Twitter: @isirspov

if i’m ever down this bad someone please spray me with a fire hose https://t.co/Bh9m5aZ6A6

— who knows (@smileys_fav) November 14, 2023

Twitter @smileys_fav / Twitter @diorsvision / TikTok @toomhollande / Via Twitter: @smileys_fav

“It makes me feel comforted to know even zendaya was once in the trenches tbh,” another joked.

it makes me feel comforted to know even zendaya was once in the trenches tbh https://t.co/AfB8ott6Zt

— riley (@fakebeIieve) November 14, 2023

Twitter @fakebeIieve / Twitter @diorsvision / TikTok @toomhollande / Via Twitter: @fakebeIieve

A similar reaction was being received over on TikTok, where one of the comments on the video read: “the way he didn’t look bye I would’ve ran out the room 😭”

“the way he didn’t look bye I would’ve ran out the room ?”
TikTok @toomhollande / Via tiktok.com

“This is so…omg she stays up about this,” someone else agreed. Another added: “this would haunt me for years😭”

“This is so…omg she stays up about this,”
TikTok @toomhollande / Via tiktok.com
“this would haunt me for years?”
TikTok @toomhollande / Via tiktok.com

One more wrote: “i always wondered which one liked who first but this just answered my question.”

“i always wondered which one liked who first but this just answered my question.”
TikTok @toomhollande / Via tiktok.com

But others were keen to point out that Zendaya ultimately got the last laugh, considering she and Tom are happily together six years later. One person tweeted: “y'all making fun of her but she got him in the end, i can't criticize a successful mission.”

y'all making fun of her but she got him in the end, i can't criticize a succesful mission https://t.co/Teb4gvN4PI

— rhaenyra targaryen's lawyer (@Targ_Nation) November 14, 2023

Twitter @Targ_Nation / Twitter @diorsvision / TikTok @toomhollande / Via Twitter: @Targ_Nation

Earlier this year, Zendaya courted more sympathy for how besotted she was with Tom in those early days when one of her tweets from June 2017 resurfaced on social media.

Closeup of Zendaya
Don Arnold / WireImage

Tom had teased his costar on Instagram by sharing a picture of himself looking longingly into the distance and writing in the caption: “Stealing hearts since never @zendaya.”

Closeup of Tom Holland
Nurphoto / NurPhoto via Getty Images

Zendaya immediately responded by liking the post and commenting six laughing emojis alongside a flirty: “I hate you.”

"I hate you"
Instagram @tomholland2013 / Twitter @Zendaya / Via Twitter: @Zendaya

After this, she then screenshot the interaction and posted it to X, telling her fans: “I really can't stand him @TomHolland1996” as she added another four laughing emojis.

"I really can't stand him"
Twitter @Zendaya / Via Twitter: @Zendaya

In addition to her excessive laughter at Tom’s lukewarm joke, it didn’t take long for it to be noted that — according to the timestamp on Zendaya’s screenshot — she had “liked, commented, screenshotted, and tweeted” all within the space of two minutes.

Closeup of Zendaya
Gotham / GC Images

And with this much embarrassing evidence of how much Zendaya was crushing on Tom during this time circulating the internet, thank goodness that everything worked out between them.

More on this