Cynthia Erivo has taken the world by a storm as she takes the role of Elphaba from the stage to the silver screens. The British actress and singer has been nonstop working on the press tour to promote Wicked, alongside co-star Ariana Grande, which has attracted swathes of attention.
As she receives praise for her singing and acting prowess, there’s likely no one more proud of her than her partner Lena Waithe, who was spotted attending the Los Angeles Premiere of Wicked.
© Gilbert FloresLena paid homage to the songstress by wearing Emerald City green as she attended the red carpet event. Furthermore, the duo looked inseparable at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures gala.
But who is the Wicked star’s partner? Here’s all you need to know about Lena Waithe.
Lena’s successful career
© VarietyIf Lena looks familiar to you, it’s because she is incredibly famous within her own right as an actress, producer, and screenwriter. She’s best known for her work in the likes of Master of None, Westworld and Dear White People.
In 2017, she became the first African-American woman to win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series thanks to her “Thanksgiving” episode on Master of None, loosely based on her personal experience of coming out to her mother.
She also wrote and produced Queen & Slim which won a BET Award for Best Movie.
How the couple met
Cynthia and Lena first met in 2018 at the Met Gala, clearly leaving an impression on each other as the former posted their meeting on Instagram. Sharing a selfie together, Cynthia wrote: “I finally found my sis. Lena you are absolutely everything. You are perfection. What a meeting of minds, glad to have you in my life! Stuck like glue !!! SHINE QUEEN SHINE!!”
© Kevin Mazur/MG18Meanwhile, Lena would tell Variety in 2020 of their meeting: “I had seen her in The Color Purple twice, I remember seeing her on TV when Oprah talked about doing it and her being on the screen, I remember [thinking], ‘Who is this tiny person with a British accent?’ We’ve just been vibing ever since.”
When did they get together
© Arturo HolmesAlthough they’ve never formally announced their relationship, fans speculated about the duo for a long time. The first time either of them gave any real hint of their relationship was when Cynthia posted to Instagram on Lena’s birthday in 2022.
The Wicked star wrote: “Today is when we celebrate a woman whose heart is bigger than the body that houses it. Happy birthday @lenawaithe I ……. You know the rest!”
Lena’s ex-wife
© VarietyBefore Cynthia, Lena was married to Alana Mayo, a content executive at Orion Pictures. They married in 2019 in San Francisco, although they separated after two months together. In November 2020, Alana filed for divorce, which was finalized in 2021.
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