and were sure to discuss having children before their recent engagement.
“Tom really wants to have a family, and [he] and Zendaya are on the same page about having kids and wanting to start a family together,” a source exclusively told Us Weekly. The insight comes after Us confirmed on Monday, January 6, that the couple had gotten engaged.
Noting that “Tom is absolutely in love with her,” the insider said that Holland, 28, is “very focused on building a family and his career.” The source continued: “Tom is [a] very old-school English guy in the way that he wants to have a family and have kids relatively young.”
Both actors come from big broods, as Tom is the eldest of his parents and ’s four sons — including twins Harry and Sam, 25, and Paddy, 20. Zendaya, 28, is the only child of her divorced parents, and , but has five older siblings from her father’s previous relationship.
Tom opened up about his future fatherhood plans in an interview with Men’s Health earlier this month, revealing he plans to put a pause on acting once he becomes a dad. “When I have kids, you will not see me in movies anymore,” he shared. “Golf and dad. And I will just disappear off the face of the earth.”
News of the couple’s engagement broke one day after Zendaya flashed a diamond ring at the 2025 Golden Globes on Sunday, January 5. “Zendaya tried to keep it a secret but was very excited to show off her ring,” the same source exclusively told Us on Monday. “She didn’t think people would notice but didn’t care either way.”
According to the insider, Tom decided the holidays were “the best time to propose in a very low-key way,” as Zendaya “didn’t want anything over the top.” The source added: “Tom wanted to propose because he feels he is at the right time in his life and feels ready to settle down. They had many conversations over the years, but there was never any pressure. Zendaya is giddy and excited. She knew it might have been coming but never put pressure on it.”
Tom’s father, Dominic Holland, 57, confirmed the engagement news in a Friday, January 10, blog post via his Patreon account, revealing that Tom purchased Zendaya’s ring himself, had “everything planned out” and “had spoken with her father and gained permission to propose to his daughter.”
The Spider-Man costars first sparked romance rumors in 2017, though Zendaya went on to date her Euphoria costar from 2019 to 2020. She and Tom rekindled things not long after and their relationship status was confirmed after being spotted kissing in a car in July 2021.
“These two are the real deal,” a separate source exclusively told Us in July 2024. “They started as besties, and that’s [why] their relationship is rock solid … Their families are all in. [They] think they’re perfect together.”
Zendaya put her engagement ring on display while attending a screening of her film Challengers on Monday, using the dazzler to accessorize her black leather blazer and matching tulle skirt. She completed the look with a ponytail hairstyle and bangs as well as a pair of diamond stud earrings.
With reporting by Amanda Williams
