Michael B. Jordan and Lupita Nyong'o definitely actually love each other
Michael B. Jordan and Lupita Nyong’o are the extremely good-looking stars of the extremely good and successful Black Panther. The film and its stars are enjoying a cultural moment like few in recent memory, a rare commingling of political and cultural importance met with near-universal adoration from audiences and critics alike. That adoration has now spilled out into real life, because Jordan and Nyong’o are also definitely, absolutely in love with each other.
Let’s examine the evidence. Public interest in their romantic relationship began with a moment in this Twitter Q&A, when, 49 minutes in, Nyong’o interrupted Jordan’s answer to a totally unrelated question by demanding that he do a push-up for her. Jordan mostly laughs and calls his co-star “vicious” and “cold-blooded” while complying. As they explained in the video, he lost a bet to her, and the stakes were on-demand push-ups. Most nodded and thought, “Hm, interesting!”
Shortly after that, Nyong’o posted the following video to Instagram. Again, Jordan calls her “brutal,” laughs a little, and does the push-up. What might this mysterious bet be, still paying out dividends? They sure seem comfortable with each other. Perhaps because of the less formal setting, there’s a little more interaction this time, with a half-way hug.