After many months of keeping their relationship under wraps, Lupita Nyong’o and her fiancé and partner Selema Masekela confirmed their relationship to the public yesterday. In addition to celebrating the holidays by purchasing a multimillion-dollar Los Angeles property jointly, the couple has also taken their relationship to a new level.
Nyong’o and Masekela spent in excess of $4 million on their 2014 custom-built residence. The expansive estate is located in the wilderness of Topanga Canyon, an unincorporated Los Angeles neighborhood nestled between Malibu and the San Fernando Valley.
Hidden safely behind a steel-gated driveway, on over 2 acres of heavily wooded land at the end of a secluded one-way street, the listing describes the modern steel, glass, and cement structure as “self-sustainable” with its own solar, backup power, home automation, and filtration systems. There are four bedrooms and five bathrooms in more than 4,000 square feet of living space on three levels, all of which feature floor-to-ceiling windows with panoramic ocean, hillside, and canyon views.
Notable features include a living room with a fireplace and folding glass doors leading to a spacious balcony, as well as a dining area with a wet bar. A fireside parlor leads to a gourmet kitchen with bamboo cabinetry, quartz countertops, an eat-in island, and an abundance of Viking, Wolf, and Sub-Zero appliances.
Other features include an upper-level master suite with a spa-inspired bathroom featuring a Jacuzzi tub and a steam shower for two, a lower-level media/family room with its own separate entrance, another wet bar, and a bedroom with an attached bathroom that is currently being used as an office.
Outdoors, the professionally landscaped grounds are highlighted by an al fresco entertainment space that features a sitting area with a fountain, fire pit, and kitchen equipped with a commercial-grade barbecue. In addition, there is an attached two-car garage and parking for up to 20 vehicles on-site.
Nyong’o, who was born in Mexico City but reared primarily in Kenya, rose to prominence for her supporting role in the 2013 film “12 Years a Slave,” for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Since then, the 39-year-old has starred in a number of other high-grossing spectacles (including “Us,” the “Black Panther” films, and the “Star Wars” sequel trilogy) and written a New York Times bestseller (titled “Sulwe”).
Masekela, an award-winning presenter and journalist, is likely best known as the former host of ESPN’s X Games and NBC’s “Red Bull Signature Series,” as well as the co-author of the critically acclaimed book “AFROSURF,” which celebrates African surf culture and is currently in development as a television series. The 51-year-old surfer first rose to prominence as the only son of the late South African jazz musician and anti-apartheid activist Hugh Masekela.