Lupita Nyong’o is finally addressing the romance rumors that have been following her and Janelle Monáe for years.
Source: Variety / Getty
For Monáe’s recent cover story with Rolling Stone, Nyong’o–who has been friends with the artist since 2014–spoke about their relationship and the longstanding rumors surrounding them. Though Lupita is currently dating her boyfriend Selema Masekela, she did not hesitate to admit that she can totally see why people thought of her and Janelle as a couple.
“She has magnetism that they were obviously picking up on,” Lupita told Rolling Stone. “She is that enigmatic. People are curious about enigmatic people.”
The Black Panther star went on to note that she was “not surprised” by the dating speculation, saying, “I don’t mind being associated with her in any capacity.”
“It’s built into her spirit,” she said, calling the multi-hyphenate “extremely gifted.”
“Her openness creates intimacy onscreen. It’s really cool to see her move from one thing to another and do it with such mastery.”
But, still, with just how close the two of them seem to be, Nyong’o did still seem to shut down any rumors of an actual romance.
“Just because you’re a close friend of hers doesn’t mean you get to know everything about her,” the actress admitted. “I think that’s what makes her interesting as an artist.”
Monáe echoed that same sentiment in the cover story, insisting that her love life is something she prefers to keep to herself.
“I have a policy and agreement with myself—that is a part of my life that I want to keep private,” the 37-year-old explained to the publication. “I can talk about my identity, I can talk about my sexuality. I can talk about all things Janelle Monáe without having to go into detail. You know what I mean? It’s not necessary.”
