Tessa Thompson and Janelle Monáe have been on Hollywood's "are-they-or-aren't-they-together"
list for years.
These multi-talented ladies are absolutely killing it in the entertainment industry,
but their close relationship makes us wonder: Is there something more between them than
just friendship?
After getting her start acting on Veronica Mars and Grey's Anatomy, Thompson delivered
a career-changing performance as Sam White in the indie film incarnation of Dear White
People in 2014, which led to a gig as the Marvel superhero Valkyrie in 2017's Thor:
Ragnarok.
Meanwhile, Monáe's unique blend of funk, hip-hop, and R&B music has earned her six
Grammy nominations, paving the way for a transition to acting in the award-winning hit films Hidden
Figures and Moonlight.
So is Hollywood's hottest power couple actually a couple at all?
Here's a look at the truth about Tessa Thompson's relationship with Janelle Monae.
Beautiful music
Thompson and Monáe have been romantically linked since the spring of 2015.
After Thompson appeared as a backup dancer in Monáe's "Yoga" music video, the pair suddenly
seemed inseparable, making joint appearances at red carpet events, vacationing together
in Mexico, and quietly documenting time together on social media.
These couple-y activities sparked rumors of a blossoming romance, and by early 2018, increased
speculation surrounding the nature of their relationship made its way into the mainstream
thanks to a series of suggestive appearances by Thompson in videos for Monae's third studio
album, Dirty Computer.
In the video for the iconic bisexual anthem "Make Me Feel," for example, the two women
dance together, and in a choreographed scene in the music video for "PYNK," Thompson sticks
her head out from between the legs of Monáe's pants, and those slacks just so happen to
resemble a vagina.
Coming out together
Monáe and Thompson continued to ignite rumors of a possible romance when they each publicly
addressed their respective sexual identities for the first time in 2018.
Prior to the release of Dirty Computer in April, Monáe famously came out as pansexual
in her Rolling Stone cover story, saying,
"Being a queer black woman in America, someone who has been in relationships with both men
and women, I consider myself to be a free-a-- motherf--ker."
Just two months later, Thompson came out as bisexual, telling Net-a-Porter,
"I can take things for granted because of my family.
It's so free and you can be anything that you want to be.
I'm attracted to men and also to women."
Tightrope
With their levels of fame skyrocketing, Thompson and Monáe have remained understandably guarded
when it comes to keeping their personal lives out of the spotlight.
But as queer women of color breaking ground in the entertainment industry, balancing the
responsibility of visibility and the right to their privacy may be partly why they haven't
defined the nature of their relationship.
Thompson told Net-a-Porter,
"It's tricky, because Janelle and I are just really private people and we're both trying
to navigate how you reconcile wanting to have that privacy and space, and also wanting to
use your platform and influence.
I want everyone else to have that freedom and support that I have from my loved ones.
But so many people don't.
So, do I have a responsibility to say in a public space that this is my person?"
As for Monáe, she's seemingly mastered the art of deflection.
After asking her about the alleged romance, The New York Times compared her response to,
quote, "watching a mathematician working out Fermat's Last Theorem" as she figured out
the best way to answer.
In the end, the singer simply said,
"I hope people feel celebrated.
I hope they feel love.
I hope they feel seen."
Are they or aren't they?
As of August 2018, Tessa Thompson and Janelle Monáe have yet to confirm the nature of their
relationship.
But Thompson fanned the flames when she directly addressed the rumors in her Net-a-Porter interview,
saying,
"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."
Some took this as confirmation the two were dating, but Thompson quickly set the record
straight, posting on Twitter,
"Sometimes we cheer so loudly at someone speaking their truth, that we miss what they say.
I didn't say I was in a relationship.
But I said lots of other things.…One thing I missed, Pride Has No End."
The evolution of Mary
For those who believe Thompson and Monáe are dating, one of the biggest clues comes
from the evolution in Monáe's discography of a recurring female character named Mary.
This character debuts as the anonymous object of affection for the singer's alter-ego, Cindi
Mayweather, in 2010's "Mushrooms & Roses."
On the track off of her debut album, Monáe sings about "Blueberry Mary," who has a
"beautiful smile and rosy cheeks"
and is
"crazy about me."
And in her next album, she refers to the character again in the song "Q.U.E.E.N.," singing,
"Am I a freak because I love watching Mary?"
So what does this have to do with Thompson and Monáe?
By 2018, Mary seemed to evolve into a full-fledged character, and in the "emotion picture" accompanying
Dirty Computer, Thompson portrays Monáe's lover, Zen, also known as Mary Apple 53.
Relationship goals
Tessa Thompson and Janelle Monáe's relationship status may still be unknown, but whether or
not these two consider themselves a couple, they've always embraced relationship goals.
These talented women are one another's biggest cheerleaders and are known to gush about their
achievements in interviews and on social media.
After Monáe made headlines with her passionate Time's Up speech at the 2018 Grammys, Thompson
proudly tweeted, "Queen."
Thompson later raved about Dirty Computer, telling Net-a-Porter,
"Isn't it such a good record?
I am so proud to have been involved."
And Monae showed her public support for Thompson at Essence magazine's Black Women in Hollywood
event in March 2018, telling Hollywood Today,
“Good to see you, too!
This is her night.
I am so proud of her.
I’m so honored to be here, to support her…”
Then she walked away with a wink and a kiss.
Aww!