The Famously Private Zendaya And Tom Holland Are Rumored To Be Engaged. Being Secretive Is Good For Their Brand.

Tom Holland and Zendaya in New York in October 2024.

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• Zendaya wore a ring to the Golden Globes, sparking rumors that she is engaged to Tom Holland.
• Zendaya and Holland are known for keeping most of their relationship details private.
• PR experts told Business Insider the ring could be interpreted as a nod to an engagement without needing a statement.

Zendaya wore a ring on her left ring finger to the Golden Globes on Sunday — reigniting theories that she and Tom Holland are engaged.

Two branding PR experts told Business Insider that this approach could generate more attention than a simple statement.

Holland met Zendaya in 2016 when she auditioned for 2017's "Spider-Man: Homecoming," in which he played Spider-Man. Zendaya's character, Michelle Jones, became Holland's love interest in the sequels to "Homecoming," leading to fans speculated if the actors would date like other former "Spider-Man" costars.

Holland eventually confirmed their romance to GQ in November 2021, while criticizing the media for publishing a photo of them kissing in a car earlier that year before they were ready to go public.

Since then, Zendaya and Holland have appeared in public as a couple but kept most details about their relationship private.

On Sunday, The Los Angeles Times reporter Amy Kaufman said Zendaya "kept showing her ring, smiled coyly and shrugged her shoulders mysteriously" when she asked if she was engaged.

On Monday, TMZ and People reported they were engaged, citing unnamed sources.

Neither Zendaya nor Holland have commented, and their representatives did immediately not respond to a request for comment from BI.

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Kayley Cornelius, a celebrity PR specialist from Manchester, UK, said Zendaya's choice to wear the ring could be a clever PR stunt, because it could get double the attention.

She said that fans and the media were already speculating about whether the couple are engaged, and that conversation will be restarted if the couple addresses the rumors.

"If they just came out with a statement saying they're engaged, the moment would've lived and died by the end of this week," Cornelius said.

Mayah Riaz, a PR and personal branding expert based in London, said she wouldn't label the moment a publicity stunt but thinks Zendaya's team "would be fully aware of the buzz it would generate."

"It has excited fans and media, driving attention without either of them having to make a formal statement," Riaz said. "This understated approach is very in line with their brand of letting their work speak for itself while occasionally letting personal moments shine."

Holland and Zendaya's choice to stay private helps their relationship look authentic

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Riaz said the private approach reinforces the actors' brands as "mature, focused professionals."

"They've cultivated trust and respect from their fan base, as they are seen as prioritizing their personal lives over publicity," Riaz said. "Doing this allows them to focus public attention on their work rather than their personal life, which can be beneficial for those wanting to be taken seriously in their craft."

Cornelius said this approach makes Holland and Zendaya's relationship seem more relatable to the average person and authentic.

"They're probably losing out on money by not being as public as they are and building up that brand and identity together," Cornelius said. "So the fact that they're willing to lose out on that, keep things private, it shows that they're likely very genuine, and they very much care about one another."

Comparing the couple to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, Cornelius said it's smart for Zendaya and Holland to keep their brands separate in case they break up.

"Unfortunately for Travis, he is going to find it very hard to ever shift his brand from being Taylor Swift's boyfriend," Cornelius said. "And because they've been so public together, everything that Travis does now is going to have that association with Taylor Swift."

By rarely sharing public moments together, Zendaya and Holland garner more attention than celebrities who are often out together, Riaz and Cornelius said.

They said this increased interest in the couple could backfire if fans begin overstepping boundaries to find more information or if false rumors spiral out of control.

Overall, they said the benefits outweigh these risks.

"Tom and Zendaya have struck a great balance by being private yet not completely inaccessible. They've neither denied nor overshared, allowing them to maintain respect from their fans and the media," Riaz said.