Cynthia Erivo and Lena Waithe’s Relationship: A Timeline
It seems Ariana Grande is not the only Wicked star with a colorful love life. Cynthia Erivo, who plays Elphaba (aka the Wicked Witch of the West), also has a love life that’s made for the headlines. Erivo identifies as bisexual, according to her interview with the Pride issue of British Vogue in August 2022.
She’s reportedly been dating actress and producer Lena Waithe since 2020, but the only confirmation might have been Erivo’s Instagram post in 2022 to celebrate Waithe’s birthday. The relationship seemed to be a fairytale romance. However, Grande isn’t the only one facing cheating allegations.
Cynthia Erivo and Lena Waithe’s Relationship Timeline
2018
Erivo and Waithe met during the Met Gala in 2018. Per Variety, “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 remember [thinking], ‘Who is this tiny person with a British accent?’…. We’ve just been vibing ever since.”
2019-2020
The two became close friends and were seen attending numerous events together. During this time, Waithe was engaged to Alana Mayo, a content executive whom she asked to marry her while they were in Tokyo, Japan, during Thanksgiving 2017. They got married in 2019, and in January 2020, they announced their separation just two months after getting married, according to People. In November 2020, Mayo filed for divorce, and the divorce was finalized in May 2021.
2021
Cynthia Erivo and Lena Waithe were still attending events together, like the BET Awards in June.
2022
Erivo seemed to make the relationship Instagram official.
Her caption, “Happy birthday @lenawaithe I ……. You know the rest!” with pink heart emojis, seems to hint she’s saying “I love you” to Waithe.
They continued to be photographed in public, attending several awards shows like the GLAAD Media Awards, the Tony Awards, and the BET Awards.
2024
Waithe has been very vocal and supportive of Erivo’s role in Wicked. She attended the premiere and frequently shared posts about Wicked on her social media accounts.
2025
Waithe supported Erivo and attended the Golden Globes with her, for which she was nominated for Best Actress.
Cheating Allegations
Speculation about the pair’s relationship dates back to 2020, while Waithe and Mayo were still married. Before the ex-couple announced their separation, Waithe and Erivo were seen attending a Golden Globes after-party and the Palm Springs Film Festival in January 2020. A source alleged, “Even after they married, Lena was still buying designer gifts—Chanel, Gucci—for other women,” as reported by She Knows.
