Lupita Nyong’o is moving forward with grace following her challenging breakup with boyfriend Selema Masekela.
Nyong’o, 40, looked angelic at the GO Campaign’s annual gala in Los Angeles on Saturday, October 21, marking her first red carpet since announcing the split. The Black Panther star opted for a plunging ivory gown that featured webbed sleeves and a high slit. Nyong’o paired the dress with an intricate headpiece that featured a net and layered conch shell beads. For glam, the actress donned a smokey eye and a delicate glossy lip.
One day after the gala, Nyong’o took to social media to praise her followers for supporting her during her time of need. “Thank you for all the kindness I have received from sharing my heartbreak news,” Nyong’o wrote in a since-expired Instagram Story. “The words of encouragement mean more to me than I anticipated. They are a balm. … And it feels comforting to have a little corner online for the romantically heartbroken to gather.”
Nyong’o first announced that she and Masekela had called it quits in a lengthy Instagram statement shared on Thursday, October 19.
“At this moment, it is necessary for me to share a personal truth and publicly dissociate myself from someone I can no longer trust,” Nyong’o wrote. “I find myself in a season of heartbreak because of a love suddenly and devastatingly extinguished by deception.”
Nyong’o shared that she was “tempted to run into the shadows and hide” and return once she “regained” her strength. However, the actress ultimately decided to be honest about her emotions.
“I am choosing to face the pain, cultivating the courage to meet my life exactly as it is, and trusting that this too shall pass,” she continued. “The promise, they say, is that a tender heart is what gives birth to fearlessness. I hope it’s true … I share this to keep it 💯, and hoping that the knowledge of my experience might be useful to someone else out there experiencing the grip of heartbreak who is poised to try and escape from the pain and miss out on the wisdom that comes from it. #Breakup.”
Nyong’o ended her message by encouraging her followers to face their pain so they “don’t spread it.”
While Nyong’o did not mention Masekela by name, the breakup comes after Nyong’o gushed about the TV personality on his birthday in August.
“The Universe saw it fit to bring this Sunshine Human into my orbit, and this day marks his introduction to life,” Nyong’o shared. “Every day is full of #goodenergy and reasons to dance with @selema as my favorite placement. Happy Birthday, my amor!”
Both Masekela and Nyong’o’s social media pages no longer feature photos of one another.
Nyong’o has since been spotted at a concert with Joshua Jackson — who is in the middle of his own divorce from Jodie Turner-Smith — but neither Nyong’o’ or Jackson have commented on the nature of their relationship.
