The Golden Globes kicked off award season on Sunday night, and to no one’s surprise, it sparked conversations about more than just the best of film and television. Referred to as “Hollywood’s Party of the Year,” I was on the edge of my seat (read: feverishly refreshing my Instagram feed because I don’t have Paramount+) to see all the glamour in real-time. We know that it’s not just about who shows up on the carpet (looking at you, Ayo Edebiri!) but how they show up, and this year, everyone’s jaw dropped when they saw Zendaya.
Zendaya’s custom Louis Vuitton satin gown was enough to turn heads, but it was her jewelry that immediately caused pause. We expected to see her in Bulgari since she’s been one of their Global Brand Ambassadors since 2020, but the ring on her left-hand ring finger was most definitely not Bulgari. So naturally, up until TMZ confirmed her engagement to long-time partner Tom Holland this morning, the internet sleuths were gathering details on what appeared to be the most stunning engagement ring we’ve seen in, well, forever.
Getting engaged, saying literally nothing about it, and subtly wearing a 5-carat engagement ring to Hollywood’s Party of the Year? Couldn’t be me. But given the fact that we waited five years for the couple to even confirm their relationship, I’m not surprised they didn’t draw attention to it. Plus, Zendaya was up for “Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture—Musical or Comedy,” and since Holland doesn’t typically walk the carpet with Zendaya when “it’s her moment,” the attention remained on her, not them as a couple.
If you keep up with Tomdaya, you know that their relationship is sweet and personal. This understated announcement following their engagement (which by the way, was an intimate affair with just the two of them at one of Zendaya’s homes between Christmas and New Year’s) is no different.
“The correct way to soft launch, as shown by Zendaya and Tom Holland, is slow and subtle versus suggestive and speculatory. Let it be naturally aligned and timed for your relationship like it was for them.”
For all of you new relationship (or situationship) goers out there, take note: This is the right way to soft launch. It’s quiet, subtle, and epicly romantic. Let there be no more photos of candle-lit dining tables with someone’s mystery hand on the other side or someone’s shoes in your apartment next to yours in your photo dump. The difference lies in ambiguity—no hiding it, no secrets, no awkward hints.
There is a difference between slowly sharing details of your relationship ala soft launch and sharing random awkward snippets that have no context. We’ve all seen comment sections full of heart emojis for the former and peeping eyes for the latter. The correct way to soft launch, as shown by Zendaya and Tom Holland, is slow and subtle versus suggestive and speculatory. Let it be naturally aligned and timed for your relationship like it was for them.
Zendaya and Tom Holland’s engagement was a glowing cherry on top of her nomination—it’s worthy of celebration, but the point of her wearing her new ring wasn’t to steal the show or cause speculation. Instead, it was a sweetly subtle-yet-proud nod to her new relationship status. She absolutely deserves to be recognized for her nominee-worthy performance in Challengers first and foremost, but I will say that meanwhile, the award for perfecting the art of the soft launch goes to Zendaya.
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Hailey Bouche, Associate Editor
As an Associate Editor for The Everygirl, Hailey Bouche oversees, writes, and edits content across various categories on the site. From the pitching stage through publishing, she works alongside the team to ensure that the content that our readers see every day is inspiring, relatable, and timely.
