Queen Latifah may be one of Hollywood's most sought-after stars, but when the cameras stop rolling, there is no one more fiercely private about their relationship than her.
The multihyphenate has built a life away from the spotlight with her partner, Eboni Nichols, who is a talented dancer, choreographer and producer in her own right. The couple share a son, Rebel, and work to keep their young family out of the public eye. Join us as we discover more about the woman who captured Queen Latifah's heart, and learn about their journey to motherhood.
See Queen Latifah in her hit show The Equalizer below...
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© Variety via Getty ImagesA multihyphenate star
Eboni is a multitalented dancer, choreographer and producer who has worked with some of the world's biggest artists. She graduated from Chapman University with a BFA in Theater and Dance, as per her Emmys bio, and was a Lakers Girl for the LA Lakers basketball team for a time.
During her dancing career, Eboni performed alongside stars like Aaliyah, Beyoncé, Usher and Rihanna, and has choreographed for the likes of Snoop Dogg, Estelle and The Dream.
On-screen, Eboni has choreographed for projects like Jane the Virgin, Fresh Off the Boat, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Office Christmas Party and Girls Trip. She also launched her own production company, E. Nichols Productions, and helped produce the Academy Awards, the Grammys and the Kennedy Center Honors in the past.
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© WireImageMeet cute
While the story of how they met is unclear due to the ultra-private nature of their relationship, it is widely reported that the duo met on the set of Dancing with the Stars in 2009 when Eboni worked as a dancer and Queen Latifah was a contestant.
They may have met as early as 2007, though, as they both appeared in the hit movie-musical Hairspray. Queen Latifah portrayed Motormouth Maybelle in the film, and Eboni was a background dancer.
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© GC ImagesAn ultra-private pair
Queen Latifah and her partner are incredibly private, with the actress telling The New York Times in 2008 that she kept her cards close to her chest when it came to her personal life.
"I don't have a problem discussing the topic of somebody being gay, but I do have a problem discussing my personal life. You don't get that part of me. Sorry. We're not discussing it in our meetings, we're not discussing it at Cover Girl," she declared.
"I don't feel like I need to share my personal life, and I don't care if people think I'm gay or not. Assume whatever you want. You do it anyway."
The duo were spotted out and about together for the first time in 2013, but they didn't make their red carpet debut until 2015.
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© GC ImagesIn the public eye
Queen Latifah and Eboni slowly began to showcase their love in the public eye, with the rapper giving her partner and their son, Rebel, a sweet shoutout during her acceptance speech for BET's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2021. "Eboni, my love. Rebel, my love. Peace. Happy Pride!" she said.
Two years later, they walked the red carpet together at the Cannes Film Festival amfAR Gala, which Queen Latifah hosted. They then attended the Met Gala together in 2024, both in custom Thom Browne looks.
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© Getty ImagesJourney to motherhood
The couple became parents in 2019 when their son, Rebel, was born. Queen Latifah had been open in the past about her desire to become a mother, yet reiterated that she would keep her pregnancy under wraps as long as possible.
"I will probably be six months pregnant before anyone knows about it, and I won't talk about the baby until after it’s born," she told SF Gate in 2008.
She later spoke to People about waiting to be ready before starting a family. "I've always envisioned myself with a big family. I'm a late bloomer," Queen Latifah explained.
"I'm a late bloomer with a lot of things, and you know – nobody's perfect…I think I kind of needed to grow and mature and get everything kind of taken care of with everything before I was able to really deal with it."
She added that becoming a mother was a selfless act of love. "To me, it's the most unselfish thing you could do, to be a parent. It's not about you at all. It's about what you can give to support this child growing into adulthood. And so it doesn't matter if it's a baby or a toddler or a teenager, for that matter."
"As long as they get to feel like they have a mother, they have a home, they have a family and somebody who's there for them."
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© Getty ImagesOut and about
The lovebirds have made several outings with their young son in recent years, and often show up at NBA and WNBA games with him by their sides.
In August 2025, Queen Latifah and Rebel snapped a photo with WNBA stars Olivia Nelson-Ododa, Aaliyah Edwards and Bria Hartley at a game between the Connecticut Suns and New York Liberty. The family were also seen enjoying a day out at Disneyland, California, in December 2025.
