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‘The Woman King’ Actor John Boyega Speaks On Dating Preferences: “I Like My Women Black”

John Boyega isn’t compromising when it comes to his dating life. The Woman Kingactor made it clear, twice this week, that he prefers to romance Black women–point, blank period.

He first spoke about dating in an interview with British GQreleased on September 13. The sit-down highlighted the span of his career from appearances in three Star Wars films to his latest role as King Ghezo in The Woman King,starring Viola Davis.

Towards the end of the interview, Boyega spoke about his personal goals since turning 30 in March. He claimed work and love are a priority but made it clear that he dates under a rigid rule.

“I only date Black,” John said. “Then it’s about chemistry, personality, goals. Is there a synergy? Can I help you? Can you help me,” he said.

Run It Back! John Doubles-Down On Only Dating Black Women

Later in the week, John stood firm in his dating preference during an interview withThe Breakfast Clubpublished on September 16. As the dating conversation kicked off, John questioned Charlamagne Tha God’s martial status and loyalty to Black love. Charlamagne confirmed his marriage to a Black woman named Jessica Gadsgen.

The two spoke about the importance of the home-matching conversations about Blackness. In Charlamagne’s words, Boyega checked that the host wasn’t talking “soBlack and sleeping white.”

Angela Yee asked John if he’s ever dated a white woman, to which he responded yes but claimed it was nothing serious.

“I’ve said it openly, but it’s just a preference, I like my women Black,” John said. “Just separate from a political statement or anything like that, it’s just they fine as hell. Melanin levels got to be over 75 percent, thickness got to be there, style got to be there. We got to laugh at the same jokes. Bump to the same music. It’s got to be a flow.”

John continued, explaining why dating a Black woman makes sense to him.

“I’m trying to have conversations where I can talk sh*t behind closed doors,” John said. “I’m trying to say woman I don’t…and she like yeah baby, yeah you right. That’s what I need. I need her to understand a Black man’s anger or frustration. I need her to understand when certain dudes walk into the room and the energy ain’t right and she’s just like calm down baby. Chill. I need that. I need me a Black woman.”

Watch the full interview below.The Woman Kingpremiered in theaters across the U.S. on September 16.
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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