Lupita Nyong’o appeared to confirm she’s no longer romantically involved with fellow actor Joshua Jackson during a recent interview with Harper’s Bazaar UK. The Oscar-winner, who was born in Mexico to Kenyan parents, however, said she has still left the door open to giving love another shot.
Nyong’o, 41, said that was initially not the case, but her pet cat Yoyo made her have a change of heart. The Black Panther star adopted Yoyo in 2023 after she broke up with Selema Masekela.
“My love for my cat is singular. If I’m ever so lucky to be in a romantic relationship again, it’ll be because of him,” Nyong’o said. “I was ready to shut that door and lock it and bolt it. He has ensured that my heart remains open.”
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As previously reported by Face2Face Africa, rumors about Jackson and Nyong’o dating began last October after they were spotted together at Janelle Monae’s concert in Los Angeles. This came after both had recently ended their previous relationships, with Jackson splitting from Jodie Turner-Smith, who filed for divorce citing irreconcilable differences after four years of marriage and listing September 2023 as their official separation date.
Nyong’o in an interview with Net-a-Porter touched on her breakup with Masekela and why she decided to publicly announce their split. The 12 Years a Slave star took to Instagram in October 2023 to announce she had ended her relationship with Masekela after she was spotted with Jackson and friends during a night out, Face2Face Africa reported.
“In my mind, when I shared my relationship status with the world, it was because I felt sure about it,” she said at the time. “I was living in a lot of pain and heartbreak. I looked at the environment of my social media and thought, I don’t want to be a part of this illusion that everything is always coming up roses. Surely there is a lesson for me to learn in this, and I just want to be real about it.”
Nyong’o also said she was glad she shared the news as the response and support she received were positive. “I knew how it could be interpreted; I knew it would have a life of its own,” she stated. “But then I started to see the comments and people were being so loving and supportive. The ones that moved me the most were other people sharing their pain and their heartbreak.”
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