During her coronation as the Lifetime Achievement doyenne at the 2021 BET Awards, lyrical Queen Latifah finally addressed her long-questioned sexual orientation. “Peace – happy Pride!” exclaimed Latifah – real name Dana Owens – in the closing remarks of her acceptance speech. The Grammy Award-winning diva went on to make one of her first public declarations of affection to her longtime partner of nearly a decade, Eboni Nichols. “Eboni, my love,” Latifah, 51, said, touching her heart in salute of Nichols, 43. “Rebel, my love,” she added, warmly acknowledging the son she and Nichols reportedly welcomed together in 2019. Latifah has sidestepped inquiries into her sexuality since she first stormed the pop culture continuum as a militant mistress of the mic with the classic hip-hop track Ladies First in 1989. Throughout the years, the New Jersey-born musician-turned-Golden Globe winner has refused to confirm or deny suspicions of her homosexuality. “I don’t have a problem discussing the topic of somebody being gay, but I do have a problem discussing my personal life,” Latifah insisted during an interview with The New York Times in 2008. “You don’t get that part of me,” the Equalizer star continued.“I don’t feel like I need to share my personal life, and I don’t care if people think I’m gay or not. Assume whatever you want,” she went on. “You do it anyway.”Nichols is a former Los Angeles Lakers Girl dancer who now works as a professional choreographer on major Hollywood productions like the feature film Girls Trip and the ABC comedy Fresh Off The Boat. She and Latifah reportedly met on the set of Dancing With The Stars in 2009, but they didn’t embark on their ultra-private relationship until 2013. In 2015, the pair were spotted smiling and sunning in bikinis on the beaches of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. Rumours the Queen had asked for Nichols’ hand in marriage circulated in 2017.However, neither sweetheart has ever officially confirmed their engagement. But Latifah’s recent expression of unabashed pride and love was enough to send social media romantics spiralling. Representatives for Queen Latifah did not immediately return The Post’s request for comment. This article originally appeared on the New York Post and was reproduced with permission
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