Lupita Nyong’o & Selema Masekela: Their Relationship Timeline

This year has been the one of celebrity breakups. From fresh splits to revelations about years-long separations, there’s been something in the air. However, one of the more shocking breakups this year is that of Lupita Nyong’o and her former beau, Selema Masekela. In a heart-wrenching post, the Oscar-winning darling revealed she and the sports commentator were no longer together.

Lupita Nyong’o has always kept her personal life private. She has especially found a way to keep the romantic aspects of her life hidden from the public eye. This is also why the first announcement of her relationship with Hugh Masekela’s son took everyone by surprise. Unfortunately, all of that came to an end just recently. What’s more surprising is how Lupita broke the news of their split. With significant words like “deception” tossed in the air, fans are left curious about how Masekala broke Lupita’s trust. Here is a timeline of their relationship, from swoon-worthy beginnings until the breakup.

"Hypothetically speaking of course… let's say you're seated behind Lupita Nyong'o on an airplane, what would be your opening line,” Selema tweeted in April 2016. Owner of the surf lifestyle brand, Mami Wata, it was clear to everyone that he had a crush on the actress. Additionally, he was looking to take things a step further and strike up a conversation. A couple of minutes after his tweet, he sent out another one. “Anyone comes up with a good opener for me with Lupita Nyong’o, send em. Cause I’m really sittin’ right behind her on this flight. #stumped.” Believe it or not, after this initial meeting, the world did not hear anything about the pair for another six years. 

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Fast forward to December 2022, the ex-couple launched matching Instagram posts. It included a clip that showed the two of them donning a series of coordinated outfits. Lupita’s caption was: “We just click! @selema #thisismylove #nuffsaid.” Selema’s, on the other hand, was: “Hearts are synched. My whole and actual love.” With these posts, the pair announced their relationship to the public, garnering love and support from fans and fellow celebrities.

 It’s uncertain how long Lupita Nyong’o and Selena had been dating before the Instagram hard launch. However, not too long after, per The Hollywood Reporter, things had progressed quite greatly. In fact,  the actress and business multi-hyphenate celebrated the holidays by purchasing a $4 million four-bedroom home together in Los Angeles. This led fans to believe they’d kept their romance under wraps for quite a while.

The couple kept their brief PDA moments rolling well into the summer of 2023. In August, Lupita posted a video celebrating Selema’s birthday. Lupita wrote in the caption: "And THEN... the Universe saw it fit to bring this Sunshine Human into my orbit, and this day marks his introduction to life. Every day is full of #goodenergy and reasons to dance with @selema as my favorite playmate. Happy Birthday, mi amor!" In the comment section, he replied, “Sneaky, mi amor. luckiest man alive. my heart is smiling wide."

As aforementioned, the couple are no longer together. Lupita Nyong’o posted a series of slides on Instagram recently, sharing that she was no longer in a relationship. However, the content of the post left her fans showering her with love. In the nine-slide revelation, she shared that she could “no longer trust” Selema. Moreover, she revealed she is in a “season of heartbreak because of a love suddenly and devastatingly extinguished by deception.” 

This led to an overwhelming outpouring of love and support for the beloved actress on social media. It’s still unknown how exactly the sports commentator broke Lupita’s heart, but their relationship is over. Furthermore, both have wiped all traces of each other on their respective social media pages. However, Lupita still has a photo of her and Selema’s father, renowned anti-apartheid activist Hugh Masekela, on her page. Selema has yet to comment or reveal his side of their story.  

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