You think you know everything about that video. You know, the one where a 21-year-old Tom Holland stepped onto the Lip Sync Battle stage in May 2017 and absolutely destroyed every heteronormative assumption about Spider-Man.
The one where he slipped into fishnets, a black corset, and heels, then proceeded to serve pure hot fantasy while getting drenched in stage rain.
The performance that made every gay man stop scrolling and start sweating. But here’s the thing – behind those 160+ million views and countless thirst tweets, there’s a whole iceberg of drama, secrets, and almost-disasters that you definitely don’t know about.
This was before his first Spider-Man movie had even hit theaters – he was just a relatively unknown British kid who’d landed the role of a lifetime. But he did something that huge, straight movie stars don’t usually dare to do.
Before we start – I KNOW you HAVE to watch that video again. It’s the law. So enjoy – and then find out the secrets – from daddy drama to latex alternatives.
1. His Dad Literally Tried to Cancel the Whole Thing
Plot twist: Tom’s father was NOT here for the fishnets.
Comedian Dominic Holland actually contacted Tom and his agents, practically begging them to cancel the Lip Sync Battle appearance because he thought it was too “risqué” for his son’s budding career.
“My dad always taught me when I was younger that you want to get famous as slowly as possible,” Tom revealed in 2021. “You don’t want to get super famous tomorrow, because you won’t be able to handle it.”
But our boy Tom said “sorry dad” and slipped into that corset anyway. Thank god for teenage rebellion.
2. We Almost Got Britney in Red Latex Instead
Hold onto your wigs because this alternate timeline is WILD.
If Rihanna hadn’t approved the use of “Umbrella,” Tom would have performed Britney Spears’ “Oops!… I Did It Again” in a red latex suit.
Take a moment. Process that. Tom Holland. Latex. Britney choreo.
We’re simultaneously grateful for what we got and devastated by what we missed.
3. It Gets More Comments Than All His Actual Movies Combined
This one’s both hilarious and tragic.
Despite starring in multiple Spider-Man films and other acclaimed projects, Tom admitted in 2023 that “for all the movies that I’m incredibly proud of, the Lip Sync Battle is what I get the most compliments for.”
By 2019, he was already feeling overwhelmed: “I get more comments on the Lip Sync Battle than I do any of my actual work, ever. To the point where I’m like, over it.”
Sorry Tom, but fishnets trump superhero suits every time.
4. He Wasn’t Trying to Make a Statement – He Was Just Being Hot
The casual confidence makes it even sexier.
When asked in 2023 if the performance was meant as a statement against toxic masculinity, Tom’s response was pure gold: “No. I don’t give a f-ck.
“I’ve grown up in the most non-toxic-masculine environment possible. I didn’t realize what I was doing was so forward-thinking. I was just like, ‘Yeah, I’ll put some fishnets on and dance in the rain. That’ll be really fun. I don’t care.'”
5. It Was Actually His Most Stressful Experience Ever
Despite looking effortlessly confident, Tom was internally screaming.
He described the performance as “probably the most stressful thing I’ve ever done in my whole life.” But watching him move like liquid sensuality poured into a superhero’s body, you’d never know he was nervous.
The technical precision of every move, the way he owned that stage, the complete commitment to the fantasy – it was all happening while he was having what sounds like a full-scale panic attack internally.
6. His Billy Elliot Training Made All the Difference
This wasn’t beginner’s luck – this was years of professional dance training paying off.
Tom’s background from Billy Elliot meant every move was calculated perfection. The way he hit those beats? The technical precision of that split? The theatrical timing of every hair flip?
You can’t fake that level of skill, and it shows in every soaking wet second.
7. He’s Never Doing Anything Like It Again (And He’s Serious)
Tom has been VERY clear about this being a one-time deal.
In 2021, he was definitive: “I would never, I would never do that ever again.” By 2023, he was even more emphatic: “You’d never catch me doing that now. I’d rather go and play golf and live my little private life.”
Some perfection is meant to be once-in-a-lifetime.
8. Zendaya Is Still His Biggest Fan (And We’re Still Jealous)
Throughout all of Tom’s conflicted feelings about the performance, Zendaya has remained consistently thirsty for his dance skills.
She told Esquire in 2021, “He obviously killed it,” and has maintained that admiration publicly. In 2024, she even joked about not wanting to take dance classes with him because “he’s too good, it would piss me off.”
Lucky girl gets front-row seats to the Tom Holland show.
The performance turned a relatively unknown 20-year-old into a viral sensation before his first major movie even premiered.
What made it even more remarkable was Tom’s complete lack of fear about showing this side of himself – no worries about people mocking his “masculinity” or typecast concerns.
That fearless attitude would serve him well throughout his career, eventually leading him to take on complex roles like playing a character exploring his sexuality (among other things) in The Crowded Room.
Some cultural moments don’t just go viral – they become permanent fixtures in our collective memory. Tom Holland in fishnets, dripping wet and absolutely unforgettable, gave us a gift that keeps on giving.