Lupita Nyong’o Says ‘Deception’ Behind Her Split From Selema Masekela: ‘I Find Myself In A Season Of Heartbreak’

By Victoria Uwumarogie ·Updated October 19, 2023

Lupita Nyong’o is nursing a broken heart.

The Oscar winner took to her Instagram to share a message, one that revealed that she is no longer in a relationship because she “can no longer trust” the person she was with.

“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, after acknowledging the conflict happening in the Middle East. “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 went on to say that she was detailing her experience in this way in the hopes of helping someone else in “the grip of heartbreak” and seeking to get out of it, causing them to miss the wisdom that can be gleaned from love and loss.

“Let’s face our pain so we don’t spread it,” she concluded.

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A post shared by Lupita Nyong'o (@lupitanyongo)

Right before Christmas of 2022, Nyong’o went public with her relationship with TV host Selema Masekela saying, “#thisismylove.” She shared a tribute to him on his birthday this past summer writing, “Every day is full of #goodenergy and reasons to dance with @selema as my favorite playmate. Happy Birthday, mi amor.” She’d also captured super cute video of him helping her take down her hair after an event with great concentration.

Nyong’o has always been private about her love life, so the fact that she shared that she was with Masekela was no small thing. That’s likely why she’s dealing with so much pain right now following whatever “deception” occurred.

For the record, Nyong’o’s message also comes after she was photographed hanging out withactor Joshua Jackson and friends at a Janelle Monáe concert in Los Angeles recently. Jackson is currently dealing with his own heartbreak, as his estranged wife, actress Jodie Turner-Smith, filed for divorce earlier this month. Perhaps Nyong’o wanted to clear up any confusion or comments people might have had about her relationship status after seeing them at the show. Either way, I’m sure we can all agree with the actress. It’s better to have loved, lost and learned something, than to have never have loved at all, right?