Tom Holland Is Pretty Much *Always* Gazing Lovingly At Zendaya
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In November, Spider-Man: No Way Home costars, Zendaya and Tom Holland, finally confirmed they’re in a relationship to the elation (and vindication) of fans who’ve suspected it since 2017.
Now you’re morally obligated to forget you ever heard those rumors about Zendaya and Euphoria costar Jacob Elordi dating and the fact that Tom was spotted with an unnamed blonde woman in 2019, because this, THIS is the real deal. After all, it’s like a rule: You can’t play Spider-Man and MJ and not date. Don’t quote me, but I think it’s in the contract.
The couple has been real lowkey all these years. And even since making things public, they’re hardly making out on the street (except for that one time in Tom’s car).
“The equal sentiment [we both share] is just that when you really love and care about somebody, some moments or things, you wish were your own," Zendaya said in Tom’s November GQ profile. "Loving someone is a sacred thing and a special thing and something that you want to deal with and go through and experience and enjoy amongst the two people that love each other.”
But since confirming their romance, they’ve given a bit more, seemingly more comfortable being intimate under everyone's watchful eyes with a handhold here or a hand on the back there, and even these small gestures reflect a deep love— something Karen Donaldson’s more than familiar with.
The body language expert took a look at the couple’s gestures over the last few years and explained what it means for their relationship they've worked these past years to protect.
Zendaya and Tom are completely in sync.
In recent photos snapped by the paparazzi, the couple was seen walking near Tom's home in the UK. Zendaya kept an arm around Tom's waist as they walked in step.
"They are walking in stride with each other," notes Donaldson. "Their steps are mimicking one another, which signals balance in their relationship. They are each other's equal. There is no power struggle." Body language like this typically signals a couple is on the same page and they each take the other's opinions and desires into careful consideration.
"You will also see that there is no gap between the two of them as they walk which indicates happiness and closeness in a relationship," she adds.
They're each other's comfort zones.
Like you, Tom too is awestruck by Zendaya. "Tom is looking directly at Zendaya in her face, all while smiling, a more starstruck-type smile which is telling us that he may be her biggest fan," says Donaldson. However, there's a chance that he's looking to her for comfort too, something Donaldson picks up on because Tom's hand is in his pocket—a move people rely on to appear more confident than they're actually feeling.
Zendaya’s hand is telling too. "If you look, her hand is not naturally placed on her leg," Donaldson points out. "Her fingers are outstretched and more rigid which tell us she may be feeling the same way."
Zendaya brings levity to the relationship.
The smile on her face is a big giveaway, but the angle of her leg is a biggie too, says Donaldson. "Zendaya’s leg is crossed in the direction of Tom which tells us that she wants to be there with him and that she feels united," she says. By angling her knee toward him, she communicates that Tom is on her mind and her laughing in his direction and bumping him with her elbow shows she wants to lift his mood.
"Tom sits with his legs open, but open in a limited way—not the regular manspread—telling us he’s holding back a little and is reserved." Zendaya puts him at ease.
Tom's smitten.
"Tom's body is completely turned toward Zendaya's and he’s in her physical space which tells us that he’s completely into her," says Donaldson.
Even with a hoard of cameras in front of them at the Spider-Man: No Way Home premiere, Tom seems completely unaffected and is focusing instead on Zendaya. Angles are a big deal when it comes to body language, to have someone's head and shoulders turned to face his partner's means he's pretty loved up.
There's been a great deal of love between them for some time.
"When you look at this image and the pose, it may initially suggest a chummy-friendship-type relationship, however, if you look closer there are a few cues that tell us it’s not," says Donaldson of this 2017 pic.
"Happy couples reduce the space between each other by all means necessary," she points out and Zendaya's lean on Tom's shoulder, while not outright romantic, is a giveaway because of the lack of space between their bodies.
They trust each other completely.
First, I'll give you a moment to swoon over that caption.
Now, onto the body language: "Zendaya is in total admiration of Tom as you can see in her face behind the camera," says Donaldson. "Her smile is full, and she’s extremely excited in that moment, you can see through the deepness of her smile lines (Nasolabial folds)."
Because Zendaya is resting her head on the crook of Tom's neck, Donaldson can tell they're comfortable with intimacy and have a deep trust between them. They feel "close and safe" when they're together.
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