The Affair Rumor That Has Rocked Cynthia Erivo's Reputation For Years

Cynthia Erivo isn't the type to spill any details about her dating life. For years, the "Wicked" star has kept her romantic history under wraps, refusing to dish on who she's dating — or has dated. Still, even with her commitment to discretion, she hasn't managed to avoid whispers of controversy, with rumors of an affair swirling around her for years.

In an interview with Vanity Fair, Erivo explained her stance on privacy. While she's proudly claimed her identity as queer, and appreciates being seen as an icon in the LGBTQ+ community, that's where the sharing ends. "I'm very tight-lipped with my relationships, 'cause I don't think that my relationship is for anyone else but for me. I spend so much of my life sharing everything — whether it's my work or my soul or my life in speeches. I think I give enough of myself that I'm allowed to keep something for me," she explained.

But for those keeping score, Erivo was once linked to actor Dean John-Wilson and later dated Mario Martinez for about two years. These days, though, she's rumored to be involved with producer and actor Lena Waithe. The pair haven't confirmed anything, but speculation is that their relationship didn't exactly kick off under the most wholesome of circumstances.

When Cynthia Erivo and Lena Waithe first met, Waithe was still in a relationship with her ex, Alana Mayo. The two got engaged in 2017, secretly tied the knot, and announced their marriage in 2020 — only to reveal their divorce just two months later. Coincidentally (or not), that's when rumors about Erivo and Waithe started going around.

According to gossip blog Lovebscott, Mayo and Waithe's marriage might have been an attempt to patch things up after Waithe's supposed history of cheating. The patch didn't seem to hold. "Even after they married, Lena was still buying designer gifts — Chanel, Gucci — for other women," the insider claimed. And that's not all. Around the same time, sources told Bossip that Erivo and Waithe had started living together.

We'll never know the real timeline, but what we do know is that Erivo and Waithe have been friends since 2018, although it wasn't until 2022 when they started sharing hints that their relationship was more than platonic. Erivo even posted a heartfelt birthday tribute for Waithe, writing: "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!" Now, it doesn't take a detective to fill in the blank after "I." But until the pair officially confirm anything, it's all just speculation — for now.