Oscar Award winner Lupita Nyong'o and her boyfriend, Selema Masekela, have ended their relationship after approximately one year together, the actress confirmed on October 19.
Lupita Nyong'o and her boyfriend, Selema Masekela, have ended their relationship after approximately one year together.
Lupita Nyong'o and her boyfriend Selema Masekela
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Lupita shared the news on her Instagram without explicitly naming her former partner, expressing that she needed to reveal this personal truth publicly and distance herself from someone she can no longer trust.
Lupita announces break-up with boyfriend after 1 year
In her heartfelt post, Lupita addressed the recent heartbreak she's been enduring due to a love that was suddenly and devastatingly extinguished by deception. She admitted that her heartache has brought her to a season of vulnerability and pain.
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Lupita Nyong'o in her breastplate silver top
Lupita Nyong'o in her breastplate silver top
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While Lupita acknowledged her initial inclination to retreat into the shadows and hide from the world, she revealed her decision to face the pain head-on, embracing it with courage.
"There are much more important things going on in the world right now, and my thoughts are with those who are deeply suffering.
"At this moment, it is necessary for me to share a personal truth and publicly dissociate myself from someone I can no longer trust," she wrote.
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Lupita Nyong'o
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She recognised that the depth of her pain was proportionate to the capacity of her love, and she is choosing to confront it with resilience and the hope that this difficult period will eventually pass.
The actress explained her choice to share this painful experience publicly, expressing her desire to help others who might be grappling with the grip of heartbreak.
Lupita: I am choosing to face the pain
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She believes that by discussing her own heartbreak, she can offer solace, support, and wisdom to those who may also be experiencing similar pain.
"I find myself in a season of heartbreak because of a love suddenly and devastatingly extinguished by deception. I am tempted to run into the shadows and hide, only to return to the light when I have regained my strength enough for me to say, “Whatever, my life is better this way.”
"But I am reminded that the magnitude of the pain I am feeling is equal to the measure of my capacity for love. And so, I am choosing to face the pain, cultivating the courage to meet my life exactly as it is, and trusting that this too shall pass," she wrote.
Lupita articulated the idea that a tender heart ultimately gives birth to fearlessness, expressing her hope that this belief holds true.
"The promise, they say, is that a tender heart is what gives birth to fearlessness. I hope it’s true… I share this to keep it and hoping that the knowledge of my experience might be useful to someone else out there experiencing the grip of heartbreak," She wrote.
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Lupita Nyong'o
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Lupita & Selema Masekela's relationship
The now-former couple's connection dates back several years, as Selema Masekela, a TV host and designer, publicly confessed to having a crush on Lupita Nyong'o in 2016.
He tweeted a question at the time, "Hypothetically speaking, let's say you're seated behind Lupita Nyong'o on an airplane, what would be your opening line?"
Their relationship transitioned from hypothetical to reality by March 2022, when Lupita attended the grand opening of his surf apparel company, Mami Wata, in Venice, California.
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Lupita Nyong'o and her boyfriend Selema Masekela
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Lupita and Selema shared their love openly on Instagram in December 2022. She wrote, "We just click!" and used the hashtags "#thisismylove."
In a separate post, Selema expressed his deep affection for Lupita, writing, "Hearts are synched. My whole and actual love @lupitanyongo."
Lupita celebrates boyfriend on his birthday
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As recently as two months ago, Lupita celebrated Selema's birthday with a heartfelt message, referring to him as her favorite playmate and sharing her love for the Sunshine Human.
He reciprocated the sentiment by calling himself the luckiest man alive in response to her birthday tribute.
Lupita Nyong'o and her boyfriend Selema Masekela
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Although Lupita made the breakup public on her Instagram, Selema Masekela has not yet addressed the split.
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This unexpected breakup has left fans and followers of both Lupita Nyong'o and Selema Masekela surprised and saddened, as they had appeared to be a happy and affectionate couple.
