Cynthia Erivo won rave reviews and several award nominations for her role of Elphaba in the movie adaptation of Wicked – and she had a very special person supporting her behind the scenes, her partner Lena Waithe.
Lena, who was spotted attending the Los Angeles Premiere of Wicked, 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.
With awards season coming to a close, there's no doubt that Lena will be championing Cynthia for her big night at the 2025 Oscars. Not only is she nominated for Best Actress but she will perform during the ceremony alongside her Wicked co-star, Ariana Grande, who is nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role of Glinda
But who is the Wicked star's partner? Here's all you need to know about Lena Waithe.
Lena's successful career
If 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!!"
Meanwhile, 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
Although 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
Before 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.
Cynthia's sexuality
In July 2022, Cynthia opened up to British Vogue about being attracted to both men and women. She said: “My closest friends have known this of me for a long time. I feel like I knew it when I was around 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 was attracted to people. I’d have a crush on this person or that person but didn’t know how to put it in words.”