Lupita Nyong’o’s fans rally behind her after split from Selema Masekela

Fans of Kenyan Hollywood actress Lupita Nyong’o have rallied behind her after she opened up about her split from American TV presenter Selema Masekela.

Nyong’o opened up on Instagram, saying she wanted to share her “personal truth.”

“I am going through a period of grief over a love that was suddenly and devastatingly extinguished due to deception,” she wrote, without naming anyone by name.

Masekela said nothing and disabled comments on Instagram.

Nyong’o, a Hollywood actress who made history in 2014 as the first Kenyan to win an Oscar and the second African to win the title after South African actress Charlize Theron, went public with her relationship with Masekela in December last year.

“We just click!” Nyong’o captioned a video highlighting their relationship, which she subsequently deleted.

Selema, son of South African jazz legend Hugh Masekela, also spoke about Nyong’o in a separate post.

“Hearts are in sync. My true and true love is Lupita Nyong’o,” he said.

In her breakup post, Nyong’o said she wanted to “publicly disassociate herself from a person I can no longer trust” and that her love “faded due to deception.”

The news of the split surprised many of the couple’s fans, who saw the announcement of their relationship as a heartwarming moment, coming years after Masekela asked his fans for advice on how to strike up a conversation with the Black Panther star.

“Sure, hypothetically, let’s say you’re sitting behind Lupita Nyong’o on a plane. What will be your first sentence? Masekela published on

Nyong’o’s fans and some of her celebrity friends left thousands of comments in support of the star, who has amassed a large fan base over the years thanks to her captivating performances in Hollywood hits such as “Us” and “Black Panther.”

“We encourage you with love and sisterhood. Your miracles are all around you. Let’s count them with confidence and faith,” said Oscar-winning director Ava DuVernay.

Many fans also praised Nyong’o for her “bravery” and willingness to openly share a private and sensitive issue with the world.

Nyong’o said in her post that she hopes that “knowing about my experience can be helpful to someone else who is feeling the grip of grief, who is willing to try to run away from the pain and miss out on the wisdom that comes from it.”

There were virtually no comments in support of Masekela.