Lil Nas X’s Dating History Is Seriously Mysterious
But like, who’s he calling by their name?
Gentlemen, please form an orderly queue: Lil Nas X is officially single. On Sept. 28, the rapper behind the hit “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” (and that fabulous gold cape at the Met Gala) revealed that he’d recently gotten out of a relationship. (He’d been dating dancer Yai Ariza — his on-screen love interest in the music video for “That's What I Want” — this summer and told Andy Cohen they’re still on good terms.) But, aside from Ariza, who has Lil Nas X dated? Let’s investigate.
Though he’s far from shy when it comes to sexy lyrics (and even sexier dance moves), Lil Nas X has, for the most part, been tight-lipped when it comes to his relationship history. He’s definitely dated in the past — the now 22-year-old told Variety he had his first real relationship in high school, around the age of 18 — but the identities of the men he’s been with remain a mystery.
“I didn’t act on anything until high school — well, middle school, but then high school,” he told the magazine. “I’ve had some good boyfriends and some bad ones. A lot of them were emotionally unavailable or had a lot of insecurity and whatnot.”
While he’s now an icon in the LGBTQ+ community, Lil Nas X didn’t publicly come out until Pride Month 2019 (with a rainbow-covered Tweet, at that), which might explain why his previous romances have been kept under wraps.
“The honest truth is, I planned to die with the secret,” he shared with The Guardian in April 2020. “But that changed when I became Lil Nas X.” He went on to say that now, he “100% [wants] to represent the LGBT community,” but he also understands the pressures and challenges associated with coming out.
“It’s easier for me,” he said. “I’m not depending on anybody. There’s no one who’s going to kick me out of the house – nobody to start treating me sh*tty."
Ariza — his most recent ex — is a Los Angeles-based dancer originally from Colombia. Their relationship felt “natural” and “effortless,” as Lil Nas X told VMan this summer.
“I am still very much in love, but I'm, like, trying to manage it," he later said to Cohen, referring to his split from Ariza (and making our hearts ache, just a little bit).
As for future beaus, don’t expect Lil Nas X to have a new man anytime soon. “I just want to work on music,” he said. “And every now and then, you know, maybe I'll kiss a guy every blue moon.”
We may not know what his dating past or future holds, but we’re wishing Lil Nas X all the best in the present.
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