Last year, Lupita Nyong’o was a struggling drama student at Yale. This year, she’s an Oscar nominee who can currently be seen on the covers of three major magazines (Entertainment Weekly, New York, and Vanity Fair).
As you can imagine, the sudden transition from obscure Yale student to famous cover girl has been a weird one for Nyong’o, who discussed the extreme awkwardness of trying to buy a copy of a magazine that features oneself on the cover on today’s episode of Ellen.
“I’ve been so busy that I haven’t actually walked by many newsstands,”; she said. “So the other day I went to a Hudson News in an airport while I was, you know, in transit and I was like I need to see one of these. And so I went and saw the New York mag on the stand and I bought one and I was trying to be discreet, but then the guy behind the counter was like, “Oh my god you look like her’ and I was like, “Yeah…never mind.”;
Not only is Nyong’o a fixture of reputable glossy magazines, but the 12 Years a Slave star has also become an unlikely source of fodder for less reputable, less glossy publications as well. “But now, so you’re actually in tabloids which means you’ve really made it. Because there’s rumours that you and Jared Leto are together,”; said Ellen.
“Ah, but I thought Miley Cyrus broke us up. That was the last thing I heard.”;
“I’m sorry. I hope you’re okay then.”;
According to Nyong’o, the tabloid rumours about her are so specific and convincing that not even she can dispute their veracity. “But you know it’s crazy cause when I read these rumours they’re so detailed that even I start to question whether they’re true or not,”; she said. “And I know I’ve believed them in the past and now I guess I can’t believe anything.”;
“Yeah, and everyone thinks there’s a thread of truth in it. And supposedly Portia and I are divorcing, so I’m brokenhearted and that’s how I found out,”; added Ellen. “It was really sad.”;
