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Among the audience members applauding the Wicked cast after their performance at the 2025 Oscar Awards, you could also find Lena Waithe, Cynthia Erivo's (who played the role of Elphaba in Wicked) rumored girlfriend.
Lena Waithe is an actress and author who has created series like The Chi, Boomerang, Twenties, Queen & Slim, etc. She also made appearances in Master of None, Dear White People, Westworld, etc. Waithe also won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series in 2017 for her work on an episode of Master of None.
According to reports, though neither Cynthia nor Lena officially confirmed their relationship status, they are reported to have been dating since 2020. According to reports, the duo met each other at the 2018 Met Gala.
Cynthia Erivo and Lena Waithe: Relationship Explored
According to a Glamour article citing Lena Waithe's interview with Variety, they met each other at the 2018 Met Gala,
"The first time I met her was at the Met Gala, which is where all the cool kids go to meet each other. 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 am like, ‘Who is this tiny person with a British accent?’ We’ve just been vibing ever since." - Lena Waithe via Variety
Similarly, Erivo, who came out as Bisexual to Vogue in 2022, also shared a photo of their encounter at the Met Gala on her Instagram.
According to reports, they are rumored to have been dating since 2020 and have since appeared at many events together. In 2022, Erivo also shared birthday wishes to Lena with an Instagram post. Many consider the caption of this Instagram post a confirmation of their relationship.
"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!" - Cynthia Erivo via Instagram
However, an official confirmation has not yet been made, which might be because Ervio stated in an earlier interview that she likes to keep her relationships private.
Later, they were seen together attending multiple ceremonies and have also been spotted together many times. In 2022, Page Six reported that the two were spotted at the Alvin Ailey Spirit Gala, walking to the auditorium hand in hand.
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In 2024, Lena Waithe and Cynthia hung out together with Jon M Chu and Ariana Grande at the US Open Tennis Championships; the rumored couple also appeared at the Oscars and Tony Awards, Glamour reported.
According to Elle, in 2025, there was even a rumor that the two were engaged after Cynthia was spotted wearing a diamond ring at the Grammys. The rumor was soon shut down, and it was clarified that the ring was just part of the outfit.
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