What do Zendaya and Tom Holland have to do with Rihanna’s Super Bowl halftime show? So glad you asked.
The Spider-Man costars and real-life couple share a connection to Rihanna thanks to an episode of Lip Sync Battle that aired in 2017, in which Holland nailed a mashup of “Singin’ in the Rain” and Rihanna’s “Umbrella.” (Zendaya, who performed Bruno Mars’s “24k Magic,” didn’t stand a chance.) In the months leading up to the Super Bowl, which took place in Arizona on February 12, Rihanna fans speculated that she would bring some surprise guests onstage—with rumored performers including Jay-Z, Pharrell, and Eminem. Tomdaya fans, however, wondered if the special guest might be Holland.
RiRi ultimately performed solo (not counting the baby she revealed she is pregnant with), but Zendaya still managed to pay tribute to her boyfriend’s epic performance on Instagram.
On Instagram Stories on Sunday night, Zendaya first shared a photo of Rihanna performing at the halftime show, followed by a picture of herself in awe watching Holland perform “Umbrella” on Lip Sync Battle all those years ago. She didn’t say anything because she didn’t have to: The images speak for themselves.
With Rihanna expecting baby number two with her boyfriend A$AP Rocky, now might be the chance for Holland to go on tour on behalf of the singer—a surrogate of sorts. If anyone has proved themselves worthy of the task of living up to Rihanna’s glory, it’s Tom.