Oscar award winning actress Lupita Nyong’o is bravely sharing her journey of heartbreak following the end of her relationship with Selema Masekela.
In a candid interview for NET-A-PORTER’s digital title PORTER, Nyong’o, 40, reflected on her decision to be transparent about her personal struggles with her fans.
“I was living in a lot of pain and heartbreak,” Nyong’o revealed, discussing her choice to address the breakup on social media.
“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, known for her roles in films like “Black Panther” and “12 Years a Slave,” further explained her rationale behind sharing her relationship status with the public.
“It was because I felt sure about it,” she stated.
“That was very, very sage of me. I’m going back to those days, by the way.”
Despite the pain of her recent breakup, Nyong’o remains optimistic about the future and the possibility of finding love again.
“Our purpose in life is to love,” she affirmed.
“And so you have to get back in it.”
Nyong’o and Masekela, a TV host and sports commentator, went public with their relationship on Instagram in December 2022, though the timeline of their romance remains undisclosed.
In a heartfelt statement shared on Instagram on October 19, 2023, Nyong’o candidly addressed her breakup, acknowledging the pain she was experiencing but expressing her determination to face it head-on.
“I find myself in a season of heartbreak because of a love suddenly and devastatingly extinguished by deception,” Nyong’o wrote.
“But I am reminded that the magnitude of the pain I am feeling is equal to the measure of my capacity for love.”
Closing her statement with words of encouragement for others facing similar struggles, Nyong’o emphasized the importance of confronting pain and embracing the lessons it brings.
“I share this to keep it [100], and hoping that the knowledge of my experience might be useful to someone else out there experiencing the grip of heartbreak,” she concluded. “Let’s face our pain so we don’t spread it.”
