Lupita Nyong'o Opens Up About Split From Selema Masekela

(Image credit: Getty)

published 20 October 2023

In a cryptic yet in-depth Instagram post, Lupita Nyong'o has appeared to accuse now-ex Selema Masekela of deceiving her, as well as announcing the breakup of their relationship for the first time.

"There are much more important things going on in the world right now, and my thoughts are with those who are deeply suffering," Nyong'o began.

"At this moment, it is necessary for me to share a personal truth and publicly dissociate myself from someone I can no longer trust…

"I find myself in a season of heartbreak because of a love suddenly and devastatingly extinguished by deception."

The Us star hard-launched her relationship with Masekela, a TV personality and sports commentator, back in December 2022, in a now-deleted Instagram Reel of them doing "The King's Affirmation" challenge (via People). She captioned the video, "We just click! @selema #thisismylove #nuffsaid" and Masekela reshared it with the words, "Hearts are synched. My whole and actual love @lupitanyongo."

Elsewhere in her breakup post, Nyong'o explained to her followers why she chose to share her sad news, saying that she felt the need to "face the pain" rather than run away from it.

"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,'" she said.

"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.

"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 [100 emoji], and hoping that the knowledge of my experience might be useful to someone else out there experiencing the grip of heartbreak who is poised to try and escape from the pain and miss out on the wisdom that comes from it. #Breakup

"Let’s face our pain so we don’t spread it."

A post shared by Lupita Nyong'o
A photo posted by lupitanyongo on

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Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of British Vogue, InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Refinery29 and SELF. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.

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