Lupita Nyong'o confirms she's single and reflects on relationships

Lupita Nyong'o has confirmed she is single, as revealed in an interview with Harper's Bazaar UK published on Oct. 9, 2024, while promoting her new movie The Wild Robot. During the interview, Nyong'o, 41, expressed her deep affection for her cat Yoyo, stating, "My love for my cat is singular. If I'm ever so lucky to be in a romantic relationship again, it'll be because of him." Nyong'o adopted Yoyo following her split from Selema Masekela in October 2023.

Though rumors linked Nyong'o to actor Joshua Jackson, 46, over the past year, speculation about their separation grew after Jackson was spotted with model Nastassja Roberts in New York in late September. Nyong'o and Jackson were first rumored to be dating after Jodie Turner-Smith filed for divorce from Jackson, citing "irreconcilable differences."

Reflecting on the difficulties of navigating breakups, Nyong'o said, "You go through a lot of like, ‘Why? What were the signs?’… It can get toxic to beat yourself up about a past you can't change, but it’s also an opportunity to learn about yourself."

Nyong'o, who has chosen to be more private about her dating life moving forward, told Harper's Bazaar, "It’s hard enough to go through heartbreak privately. When the world has an image of you in relation to someone else, it prolongs the healing process."

The Wild Robot is now in theaters.