Janelle Monáe's Dating History Is Quite Short and Has a Lot of Unconfirmed Relationships

Singer, rapper, and actress Janelle Monáe defines herself as nonbinary and pansexual. Her love life is a bit of a mystery, with few confirmed relationships and many rumors.

Enormously talented, beautiful, and stylish, it's natural that all eyes are on Janelle Monáe where ever she goes. The singer, songwriter, rapper, and model has seen her acting career boom, first with her lead in the eery period thriller "Antebellum," and more recently in the acclaimed murder mystery, "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery."

The heat is on, and fans want to know more about Janelle Monáe, what she does, and who she is dating. She has come out as nonbinary and pansexual, but there seem to have been few confirmed loves.

Janelle Monáe was born in Kansas City on December 1, 1985, and started singing in the church choir at a very young age. Monáe started dreaming about writing and performing in her own musicals and studied music at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City.

Monáe's unique sound and unusual sci-fi theme helped propel her into the limelight, and she is now an acclaimed performer with three albums to her credit: "The ArchAndroid," "The Electric Lady," and "Dirty Computer."

She has two ASCAP awards, two Billboard Women in Music awards, an MTV Video Music Award, two Soul Train Music Awards, and no less than eight Grammy nominations -- and that is not counting her many acting nominations and awards. Monáe spoke openly about her sexuality in 2022, saying:

"I just don't see myself as a woman, solely. I feel all of my energy. I feel like God is so much bigger than the 'he' or the 'she.' If I am from God, I am everything. I am everything, but I will always, always stand with women."

Tessa Thompson

Monáe has revealed that she has loved both men and women. Still, back in 2015, she wouldn't comment on her sexuality even though she was known to be in a close relationship with the openly nonbinary "Westworld" actress Tessa Thompson. Thompson said about her relationship with Monáe:

“We love each other deeply. We’re so close, we vibrate on the same frequency. If people want to speculate about what we are, that’s okay. It doesn’t bother me.”

The two women were photographed together at red-carpet events and never denied their involvement, but they never confirmed it. Then suddenly, in 2019, they stopped being seen together. The romance they never revealed seemed to be over, and only Monáe and Thompson will ever know the truth.

The singer was snapped kissing Wonder passionately on board the yacht while wearing a striking and revealing one-piece swimsuit in her signature black and white color scheme.

Lupita Nyong'o

At the 2019 Met Gala red carpet, Monáe was spotted with yet another beautiful and talented actress, Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong'o, best known for her roles in "12 Years a Slave," "Star Wars," and "Black Panther."

Before that, Monáe had accompanied Nyong'o to the premiere of "Black Panther." The two women were then seen together backstage at the Glamour Women of The Year Awards. Monáe shared videos on Instagram of herself dancing with the Kenyan actress, looking very affectionate, which led to more rumors of a romance.

In another incident, the singer called Nyong'o up onto the stage during a London concert, calling her "my queen." However, the two women have been close friends since 2014, and while rumors fly, neither has ever confirmed a romantic attachment.

Nate Wonder

In 2021, it seemed there was a new love interest on Monáe's horizon: fellow musician and composer Nate Wonder, who worked with her on her album, "Dirty Computer." Wonder and Monáe are longtime friends and creative partners, but it seems that a jaunt on a yacht in Cabo in April 2021 rang some changes.

The singer was photographed kissing Wonder passionately on board the yacht while wearing a striking and revealing one-piece swimsuit in her signature black and white color scheme. A quirky, elegant personal style and a passion for fashion are other things Wonder and Monáe share.

Wonder has also written songs with Roman GianArthur, and Big Bo. He has been nominated for several awards, including the Soul Train Music Awards and the Ashford & Simpson Songwriter's Award.

Wonder wrote the soundtrack for the "Antebellum" motion picture, in which Monáe had her first lead role. Wonder and Monáe make beautiful music together, but there is no confirmation that there is a real romantic relationship.

Janelle Monáe seems to like to keep the world guessing, and maybe she is shielding her true love from public scrutiny with the help of her friends. As we've seen in the past, Monáe likes games of misdirection and prefers to share her truth in her own time. Meanwhile, she gets to work, be it on her music or film -- with people she admires and loves.