Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong'o has cleared the air on internet speculation that she dated BFF Janelle Monáe in the past.
The Oscar winner and the Glass Onion star have been BFFs since first meeting at the 2014 Met Gala, sparking romance rumors with their close friendship over the years.
In a piece published Monday in Rolling Stone, the Oscar winner said she gets why fans have wondered if the two were ever more than just friends.
“She has magnetism that they were obviously picking up on. She is that enigmatic,” Nyong’o said. “People are curious about enigmatic people.”
Dating rumors first took off when the pair met at the 2014 Met Gala in New York, shortly after the “12 Years a Slave” star landed an Oscar for her breakout performance in the acclaimed historical drama.
"[Monáe] came up to me and just gave me the realest hug,” Nyong’o told Rolling Stone. “We may have swayed to the music. She was just like, ‘I’m so proud of you, and just thank you for being you."
The black panther actress noted that she’s “not surprised” by speculation over the women’s dynamic.
"I don’t mind being associated with her in any capacity."
Monáe came out as pansexual in 2018 and non binary in 2022 and uses the pronouns she/her and they/them.
Although Nyong’o is happy to be in Monáe’s orbit, she confirmed in December 2022 via Instagram that she is dating Masekela, 51.
