Cynthia Erivo and her partner Lena Waithe first announced their relationship in 2022 after their close friendship grew into something more.

The Tony winner and the Master of Nothing Star first met in 2018 and were most recently seen celebrating the release of Erivo’s role in Evil at the Los Angeles premiere on November 9th and the London premiere on November 18th.

The Evil The press tour has brought much attention to Erivo’s co-stars Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater, who made their romance public in July 2023 after being on set together. The relationship led fans to speculate that Grande cheated on her ex-husband Dalton Gomez with Slater, who was also married to ex-wife Lilly Jay.

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But while Grande’s relationship has garnered a lot of public attention, Erivo’s relationship with Waithe has also been under scrutiny. Check out their relationship (and the rumors about it) below!

When did Erivo and Waithe meet?

Erivo and Waithe first met at the 2018 Met Gala. At the time, Waithe was engaged to film executive Alana Mayo.

“I finally found my sister,” Erivo wrote on Instagram in May 2018 alongside a selfie of them at the Met Gala. “Lena, you are everything. You are perfection. What an encounter, I’m glad to have you in my life! Sticks like glue!!! SHINE QUEEN SHINE!!”

Waithe later reflected on their first meeting and the friendship they formed in an interview with her in January 2020 diversity at the Palm Springs Film Festival, where she presented Erivo with an award.

“The first time I met her was at the Met Gala, where all the cool kids get together,” Waithe said. “I had seen her The color purple I remember seeing her on TV twice when Oprah (Winfrey) was talking about doing it and that she was on screen. I remember (thinking), ‘Who is this little person with a British accent?’ We’ve just been vibing ever since.”

Later that month, Waithe and Mayo announced their separation, just two months after Queen and Slim The author revealed that she secretly married Mayo in a private ceremony in San Francisco after three years of dating.

“After careful consideration and consideration, we have decided to separate,” they said in a statement People. “We are just supporting each other and ask that you respect our privacy during this time.”

When did Erivo and Waithe start dating?

In May 2022, Erivo apparently made her relationship with Waithe public by posting a tribute on Instagram. “Today we celebrate a woman whose heart is bigger than the body that houses it,” Erivo wrote in the caption. “Happy birthday @lenawaithe I……. You know the rest! 💕💕”

A few months later, in June, their romance was confirmed Page six Photographers spotted them holding hands at the Alvin Ailey Spirit Gala.

However, the couple attended several events together back in January 2020, including Variety’s 2020 Creative Impact Awards, the 2021 BET Awards, and the 2022 Oscars.

When did Erivo come out?

While Waithe has had an open and public queer relationship in the past, Erivo came out as queer to fans British Vogue Interview in July 2022. “My closest friends have known this about me for a long time,” she told the outlet. “I have a feeling I I knew it when I was about 15, but didn’t know what to call it. I didn’t have the vocabulary for it. I knew I was attracted to both men and women. I felt attracted People. I would have a crush on this person or that person but didn’t know how to put it into words.”

She soon found the right words and found herself. “For me, it means taking a risk to demand the freedom to be myself,” she said.

Waithe was accused of cheating on her ex-wife with Erivo

While Erivo and Waithe only made their relationship public in May 2022, some gossip sites speculated without evidence that the two were dating as early as January 2020, when Waithe was still married to Mayo.

In the weeks leading up to Waithe and Mayo’s split, Waithe and Erivo were seen together at the Palm Spring Film Festival and at a Golden Globes afterparty in January 2020. Later that month, after Waithe and Mayo announced their separation, a source accused Waithe of cheating on the celebrity tabloid site Bossip.

“Even after she got married, Lena still bought designer gifts — Chanel, Gucci — for other women,” the source claimed. Erivo and Waithe have not addressed these rumors.

Are Erivo and Waithe still together?

Despite all the speculation surrounding their relationship, things seem to be going well between Erivo and Waithe. On Evil Waithe was there to support the premiere on November 9th. She also wore green, a nice nod to Erivo’s character Elphaba.

On November 18th, they attended the afterparty for the London premiere together. Just Jared Reports.

Waithe also showed her support on Instagram throughout the year Evil Press tour, republishing laudatory reviews EvilCelebrity reactions to the musical and Erivo’s Nov. 22 post reflecting on the experience.

Before you go, click here to see more co-star couples we’ll always marvel at.