Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong'o shares her challenges and strategies for maintaining privacy in her romantic relationships while navigating the complexities of public life.
- Jun 30, 2024
AceShowbiz - Lupita Nyong'o, the Oscar-winning actress currently starring in the blockbuster hit "A Quiet Place: Day One", is taking firm steps to keep her personal relationships away from the limelight. At 41, she has learned from past experiences that public scrutiny can complicate and prolong the healing process when things go wrong in her private life.
"There's so much of my life that is public, to also make my personal life a part of the public conversation, it's a liability," Nyong'o tells PEOPLE. "What I learned is when things go south, then recovering from that moment takes longer because everybody knows." She emphasizes that this approach allows her relationships to grow on her own terms, stating, "I want to keep things to myself."
Nyong'o speaks from experience. She went Instagram official with TV commentator Selema Masekela in December 2022, only to announce their breakup in October 2023 via social media. Shortly after, she was spotted with actor Joshua Jackson, who is going through a public divorce from Jodie Turner-Smith. Turner-Smith addressed Jackson's apparent romance with Nyong'o, showing grace and wishing them well.
The actress acknowledges the difficulty of staying silent when her life becomes fodder for pop culture discussions. "There's a lack of control. I don't have control in things… I'll say this: What's wonderful about social media is I get a say in what people know about me," she says. "But there are parts of my life that I have no control over what people know. And it is unnerving. It's saddening at times - I'd say even disappointing and frustrating." To handle this, she focuses on safeguarding what she shares and leaving the rest to faith.
Recently relocated to Los Angeles from the hectic streets of New York, Nyong'o finds solace in her new, slower-paced environment. She also adopted a rescue cat named Yoyo after her breakup with Masekela. "I was going through a hard time. I just had a little voice saying, 'Get a cat,' and I got a cat," she recalls warmly. "I have not regretted it. I'm way less lonely with my cat, and he pried my heart open."
Nyong'o's story is a reminder of the importance of mental well-being and creating boundaries to protect oneself from external pressures. Through her journey, she teaches us that sometimes stepping back from public scrutiny offers the peace and space needed for personal growth.
