Hi! I know we’ve probably all moved on, but I am only now getting to all the engagement confirmations and wanted to investigate what details we actually learned and where we likely learned them from.
I think these were all the firsthand reportings. Let me know if I missed any.
First to confirm was TMZ:
Sources close to the couple tell TMZ ... the "Spider Man" star popped the question between Christmas and New Year's ... dropping to one knee in a very intimate setting in one of Zendaya's family homes in the United States.
We're told Tom didn't make a huge show of the engagement -- it wasn't a big, over-the-top proposal -- instead, it was very romantic and intimate.
Our sources say the family wasn't there ... it was just a sweet moment between Tom and Zendaya.
We get the rough timing (between Christmas and New Years), details about the place (one of Zendaya’s family homes in Cali), info about who was present (just Tom and Zendaya), and details about what the engagement was like (very romantic and intimate).
TMZ lists “sources close to the couple.” These were among the most concrete details we got.
Sources close to the couple tell TMZ ... the 'Spider-Man' star met with the "Euphoria" actress' dad, Kazembe Ajamu Coleman, "months ago" in order to ask for Zendaya's hand in marriage.
We're told this was an important step for Tom ... as he's very traditional and felt it was important to secure Kazembe's blessing first.
Kazembe, obviously, accepted ... and we're told Zendaya’s family is very excited for this next chapter in her relationship with Tom. In fact, sources say Zendaya's family just loves Tom ... and thinks he's "a class act."
For those wondering, we're told Tom waited months to actually propose as he was waiting for the right moment.
We learn a concrete detail that Tom asked Kaz’s permission a while ago and then a bit about Tom’s traditional mindset. We get a direct quotation about Tom: “a class act.” I think this had to have come from Kaz, right?
PEOPLE Published on January 6, 2025 01:32PM EST
After news of the couple's engagement broke, a source told PEOPLE that the Crowded Room star, 28, had been "wanting to propose [to the Challengers actress] for a while now."
"He's always been crazy about her. He always knew she was the one," the source said, adding, "They have something very special.
The source said "everyone close to them knew the engagement was happening," just not when. After Holland got down on one knee over the holidays and asked Zendaya to marry him, he was eager to share the news, telling friends about the engagement around New Year's.
As for their future wedding plans, the source said the two want to take some time to simply enjoy their engagement first.
"They will just enjoy things for now and won't rush a wedding. They are both busy with work projects," the insider explained.
The source said Holland could not be happier, noting, "Tom's always had this sweet way of letting the world know that Zendaya is his. Now, it's official — she really is!"
Most of the details here are what I would consider fluff. There’s nothing new about timing, setting, or the actual proposal. The article gestures to “over the holidays,” but that detail is not inside the quotation marks and seems to mimic the wording of the TMZ article, suggesting it’s transposed from there. We get something about not rushing the wedding, but that sounds kind of vague and generic to me. Most of the rest of details are about Tom’s mindset (what he’s been wanting, what he’s known), which could have been sourced to Tom’s previous interviews or just like, observation. They’re generic and not really verifiable. They list “a source.”
What we learn from People here is that Tom told friends over New Year’s.
Then People revised a bit:
PEOPLE Updated on January 6, 2025 01:33PM EST
The Spider-Man costars, both 28, are engaged, a family source confirmed to PEOPLE. TMZ was first to report the news. According to the outlet, Holland proposed at one of Zendaya's family homes over the holidays.
A separate source told PEOPLE that "everyone close to them knew an engagement was happening" — just not when. The source said Holland had been keen to propose to Zendaya "for a while."
“He's always been crazy about her. He always knew she was the one. They have something very special," the source said, noting that Holland shared the happy news with friends around New Year's.
In the meantime, the pair are soaking up the special moment. "Tom's always had this sweet way of letting the world know that Zendaya is his. Now, it's official — she really is!" the source told PEOPLE.
It sounds to me that People has a second source now, “a family source,” who simply confirmed the news of the engagement. I have to mention that the vague comments about the future wedding are omitted, the only other detail to have been changed in this update (👀).
US Weekly January 6, 2025
“Tom figured the holidays were the best time to propose in a very low-key way,” a source exclusively told Us Weekly shortly after news of the couple’s engagement broke on Monday, January 6. “She didn’t want anything over the top.”
According to the insider, “Zendaya tried to keep it a secret but was very excited to show off her ring. She didn’t think people would notice but didn’t care either way.”
The source went on to note that both felt the timing was right. “Tom wanted to propose because he feels he is at the right time in his life and feels ready to settle down.” The insider said. “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.”
Here we get a bit of Zendaya’s mindset (what she wanted the proposal to be like, that she wanted to keep it a secret, and that she was excited to show off the ring but DiDn’T thInK aNyOnE woULd NoTiCe.) We also get the same info about Tom’s mindset, and we learn that Tom & Zendaya have had many conversations without pressure. This is another set of “details” that are super fluffy and generic. They apply to just about every engaged couple who’s dated for years prior to their engagement.
ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT January 6, 2025
Tom Holland and Zendaya are engaged to be married and are “ready and excited for this next chapter,” a source tells ET.
“Tom wanted to propose to her over the holidays, says the source,” adding that the 28-year old actor is looking to start a family with his ‘Spider-Man’ co-star. “He really wants to have kids and to settle down.”
First bit is fluffy, generic padding. Everyone who gets engaged is “ready and excited.” Second part is more on Tom’s mindset that could have been sourced to previous interviews he’s done.
PAGE SIX Published Jan. 6, 2025, 3:39 p.m. ET
Tom Holland managed to surprise Zendaya when he popped the question, a source tells Page Six exclusively.
“Tom and Zendaya had discussed marriage over the years, but Zendaya had no idea he was planning to propose,” the insider says.
“They both value their privacy, so the proposal was something Tom wanted to keep private as well.”
The “Spider-Man” star “asked Zendaya’s dad for permission to marry her, but also asked her mom as well,” according to our source.
“Tom and Zendaya’s families are ecstatic,” the insider tells Page Six. “Zendaya’s mom and sisters can’t wait to start planning with her.”
We’re told “there is no wedding date or plans set yet,” with the source adding, “It’s far too soon to start thinking about any of that yet. They’re still celebrating the exciting news.”
More details re: privacy, now from Tom’s mindset. We learn that Tom asked Claire for permission, too, and how Claire and “Zendaya’s sisters” feel, albeit the fact that they’re excited is fluffy and generic, too. This is sounding to me like it came from Claire?
DAILY MAIL UPDATED: 17:25 EST, 7 January 2025
When reached for comment about his reaction to Zendaya, 28, getting engaged to Tom, Kazembe told DailyMail.com that it was 'a bunch of crap' that was reported.
That was a bunch of crap dealt out by TMZ,' he said before adding, 'I don't know what you're talking about.'
When pried by a DailyMail.com reporter for more answers, he refused to comment further.
All we get here is that Kaz refutes TMZ’s reporting, and the Daily Mail implies with its headline that Kaz is refuting the part about Tom asking dad’s permission. But if you look at the actual quotation, it sounds like Kaz is just saying “TMZ is full of shit. Bye,” with an emphasis more on the fact that TMZ didn’t have insider info rather than on the content of the story itself.
I think that there were three “sources” total. First one was Amy Pascal or someone like her/from her team, going around to the tabloids to push out the engagement story to gin up interest in her cash cows. She didn’t have many concrete details, so she just said some generic, obvious stuff from previous Tom Holland interviews. She may have thought the engagement just happened, or was told as much, so that’s what she passed on.
I think the second, “family source” was some combination of Kaz and Claire. Kaz confirms the engagement to TMZ and gave some details that he thought he had. Kaz or Claire confirms to People. Claire tells P6 that Tom discussed the proposal ahead of time with her, too, because Kaz isnt the only special parent or whatever. And Kaz refutes TMZ on the record to the DM so that he can save face or rectify his mistake after Zendaya told him he was acting like a fool with his initial leaks.
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