Zendaya Reacts to Tom Holland’s Umbrella Performance Years Later—And Reveals the Secret Deal He Broke That Night

It’s one of the most unforgettable moments in pop culture: Tom Holland, Spider-Man himself, strutting in fishnet stockings, a black wig, and a rain machine performance of Rihanna’s “Umbrella” on Lip Sync Battle in 2017. The routine went viral, amassing tens of millions of views and cementing itself as a career-defining moment for the young actor. But according to Holland, the performance almost never happened — and it involved a secret pact with Zendaya that he famously broke.

A Father’s Warning

In an August 2025 appearance on Gordon Ramsay’s YouTube series Scrambled, Holland revealed that his father, comedian and author Dominic Holland, had tried to talk him out of the performance altogether.

“Son, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Dominic reportedly told him, worried that the extravagant routine could thrust his son into overexposure just as his acting career was beginning to soar. Holland explained that his father’s concern was rooted in a desire to preserve some normalcy in his childhood, rather than accelerate the fame machine.

Nevertheless, the actor went through with it — complete with fishnets borrowed from his grandmother, a dramatic quick change from “Singin’ in the Rain” to “Umbrella”, and a rain-soaked finale that left both the studio audience and millions of viewers stunned.

The Pact with Zendaya

But perhaps the most surprising revelation was Holland’s admission that he had broken a behind-the-scenes deal with Zendaya.

“Zendaya and I, we were chatting at the time about what we were gonna do,” Holland recalled. “And we had agreed that we would take it easy… ‘I’m not gonna do anything crazy, you’re not gonna do anything crazy, we’re just gonna keep it nice and easy breezy.’”

Yet as rehearsals progressed, Holland and the creative team decided to push the performance to its full theatrical potential — leaving Zendaya completely unprepared for what unfolded. Her shocked reaction, covering her mouth in disbelief during the taping, has since become nearly as iconic as Holland’s raindrenched finale itself.

Zendaya, who performed Bruno Mars’s “24K Magic” in a more straightforward (but still energetic) routine, later praised her co-star’s showmanship. In a 2021 Esquire profile, she said simply: “He obviously killed it.”

A Defining Moment

The episode aired as part of promotional efforts for Spider-Man: Homecoming, but the performance quickly transcended its marketing purpose. For many fans, Holland’s willingness to go all-in — even at the risk of embarrassment — was a moment that revealed his charisma, fearlessness, and sense of humor.

Though his father worried about it overshadowing his film work, the routine has only deepened Holland’s cultural appeal, often resurfacing in memes, reaction videos, and fan tributes.

And while Zendaya has yet to directly comment on the secret “no-crazy-stunts” pact, her real-time reaction onstage — equal parts astonished and delighted — speaks volumes.

What started as a friendly promotional challenge between two rising stars became a defining pop culture moment — and, fittingly, a glimpse of the chemistry that would eventually evolve from Spider-Man co-stars to one of Hollywood’s most beloved couples.

Would you like me to frame this as a fun pop-culture feature (light, witty, conversational) or a straight entertainment news article (clean, report-style, emphasis on quotes and facts)?