Celebs

Lupita Nyong’o Seemingly Confirms ‘Breakup’ With Selema Masekela

Lupita Nyong’o is a single woman! At least, that’s what a recent Instagram upload on Thursday (Oct. 18) seemingly implies. The actress previously shared her romance with Selema Masekela.

“There are much important things on in the world right now, and my thoughts are with those who are deeply suffering. 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,” Lupita wrote in the Instagram caption and carousel post slides.

Lupita offered no additional details about the alleged “deception” or clarity on how long ago she split from Selema — whom she did not name in the upload. The last Instagram upload she shared featuring Selema came in August. It was a birthday post calling him a “sunshine human” and her “amor,” per E! News. It has since been deleted, and the pair do not follow each other on Instagram.

Lupita Nyong’o & Joshua Jackson Enjoy Janelle Mone Concert With Friends

The Shade Room first noted that the former couple were not connected on the social platform after publishing exclusive images of Lupita Nyong’o. Photographers captured her enjoying the closing show of Janelle Mone’s tour on Wednesday night.

A source told TSR Lupita reportedly arrived at the YouTube Theater in Inglewood, California, with Joshua Jackson and remained at his side for the entire performance.Over 30 images reviewed by TSR staff show Lupita and Joshua engaging in friendly conversation with each other and friends. None show signs of romantic intimacy, including kissing, hugging, hand-holding, or anything related.

Like Lupita, Joshua is also newly single after his wife of four years, Jodie Turner-Smith, filed for divorce earlier this month. She listed their date of separation as Sept. 13, 2023. The paperwork reportedly revealed that she’s seeking joint physical and legal custody of their three-year-old daughter, Juno.

RELATED:Actors Night Out! Joshua Jackson & Lupita Nyong’o Enjoy Janelle Mone’s Concert With Friends (Exclusive)
Photo Credit: Splash
Photo Credit: Splash

Lupita “Tempted To Run Into The Shadows” Amid Her Heartbreak

In today’s Instagram upload, the actress spoke about wanting to hide from public life amid her breakup.

“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.’ But I am reminded that the magnitude of the pain I am feeling is equal to the measure of my capacity for love, Lupita Nyong’o wrote.

In her continued paragraph, Lupita said she chose to share in order to be honest with herself and to inspire others experiencing heartbreak.

“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 its true 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 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.”

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Cassandra Santiago

Cassandra Santiago is a multimedia journalist, editor, and editorial strategist with over a decade of experience shaping conversations across arts, entertainment, culture, and global news. A graduate of the University of Iowa, she has built a cross-platform career spanning newspapers, magazines, radio, and digital media. She joined The Shade Room five years ago and currently serves as a Senior Editor, where she leads editorial direction, oversees exclusive coverage, and trains and edits a team of writers. Cassandra has played a key role in developing high-impact content and editorial strategies for an audience of more than 30 million, contributing to platform growth, engagement, and monetization across multiple channels. In addition to her leadership role, she remains a daily contributor, with her articles generating more than 41 million views since 2023. Beyond The Shade Room, Cassandra offers freelance social media strategy services, speaks on the influence and impact of Black media at public panels, and owns Did It For You, an event design company in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area. She is Poynter Institute–certified and was named to the DMV’s 35 Under 35 list in 2024.

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