Dana Elaine Owens, more popularly known as Queen Latifah, is an American musician and one of the first ladies of rap who is credited with redefining the rap genre.
Queen Latifah at the premiere of Netflix’s Hustle at the Regency Village Theatre in Los Angeles on June 1, 2022 (Credit: Xavier Collin / ABACA / INSTARimages)
The second-richest female rapper in the world paved the way for other female artists to rap and completely transform the traditionally male genre.
She later became one of the most renowned actresses in Hollywood, starring in major hits, including Hairspray, Taxi, and Bringing Down the House.
Who is Queen Latifah’s Partner?
Queen Latifah recently made some completely unexpected headlines. After years of keeping quiet about her personal life, she finally revealed the long-kept secret of her sexual orientation.
During her acceptance speech, while receiving the lifetime achievement award at the BET awards, she professed her love for her long-term partner Eboni Nichols.
“Thank you so much, everyone. Thank you, my sisters — y’all my sisters in the name of rap. You always have been. I’m so extremely moved that I don’t even know what to say. Let me just say that I want to thank God because God designed this whole thing to be this way,” she said on stage.
“There is no way that I could have had the parents that I was born to — my father, my mother [who died in 2018], who is still so much in me — my family, I love you — my siblings. My best friends who ride or die with me whether my face is on the dirt or I’m flying in the skies — they know me. And they’re there for me.”
“I want to thank BET for creating an outlet for beautiful blackness to thrive, to shine. When we couldn’t get played on the radio and other places; we couldn’t get our videos played. There was BET, that allowed us to be in our fullness and to shine. To this night, right now, right here — bless everybody and everyone in the audience for all your support. Black is beautiful. I was raised by strong black women. We can’t live without each other. Celebrate. Celebrate us so together we stand stronger.”
“Shakim, I thank you right now for keeping your promise to my mother to always protect me. Thank you for always protecting me and loving me. I love you for that,” she said about her business partner Shakim Compere.
“I’m gonna get off this stage, but I thank you so much for all of you, the fans for supporting every crazy-ass thing I’ve done through the years. And thank you for making Equalizer No. 1. Eboni, my love. Rebel, my love. Peace — Happy Pride!”
Eboni Nichols and Queen Latifah at the 94th Academy Awards held at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles on March 27, 2022 (Credit: Mega / WENN)
Her decade-long work was celebrated and recognized at the awards, and she chose to make the moment special forever by coming out in front of everyone and finally putting an end to all the rumors and gossip. Not only that, but she also confirmed that she and her partner have a son together.
Before she was called upon the stage to accept the award, the plus-size actress was honored with a sweet video that featured her best friends, including Jada Smith and Mary J. Blige.
After that, she was given a tribute by female rappers like Lil Kim, MC Lyte, Monie Love, and Rapsody. The performance was very moving, and a few tears might have been shed by people present at the ceremony.
She thanked Eboni while calling her “her love” and warmly addressed their son whom they welcomed together in 2019, “Rebel, my love.”
Nichols is a choreographer, and they met on the set of Dancing with the Stars in 2009. However, they didn’t start dating for another four years.
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In 2013, they reportedly began dating, but neither of the love birds had ever confirmed their relationship until Queen Latifah made the little announcement on stage.
The couple was seen together for the first time in 2015 on the beautiful beaches of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In 2017, there were some rumors that the queen had proposed to Nichols; however, it was never confirmed.
Do Queen Latifah and Ebony Nichols Have a Child Together?
Later in 2018, People spotted a pregnant Nichols outside a medical facility in Beverly Hills, and just a few months later, Radar Online reported the two welcomed their baby in 2019.
However, it’s important to note that none of this was ever confirmed by the couple.
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It is also still unknown whether they have tied the knot or if that’s yet to happen. Their relationship has always been kept extremely private.
Queen Latifah was born on March 18, 1970, which makes her 52, and her partner was born on May 12, 1978, making her 43 years old.
There’s an age gap of almost a decade between the two; however, this has never seemed to cause any problems for them.
Queen Latifah and Eboni Nichols, pictured at the 2016 US Open, reportedly welcomed a child together in 2019 (Credit: INFphoto)
When it came to giving birth to Rebel, their shared son, Nichols was the one who went ahead. It’s not clear what made them come to this decision, but maybe it has got to do with the fact that she’s younger.
Hollywood Unlocked host Jason Lee said on his show that Queen Latifah showed him a photo of her son.
“I was surprised she talked about this because the last time I saw her was at the All-Star game – I was there walking by and she was showing a picture of Rebel to Kim Kardashian,” Lee said.
“I tapped her and said, ‘B–ch, I know you’re going to let me see’ and she kind of looked at me like ‘I don’t know’ – and I was like ‘Girl, I’ve known you way longer than this girl’ and Kim’s looking at me because Kim didn’t know my relationship with Latifah…I’m going to tell y’all right now [Rebel is] the cutest kid ever. Period.”
Queen Latifah decided to celebrate Pride with a bang, ending years of speculations and rumors. Fans of Queen Latifah never got a glimpse of her real life, and she always remained off-limits most of the time, but that has changed because of her announcement.
Does Queen Latifah Have a Daughter?
Since there was always so much mystery around Queen Latifah’s life, there have been countless rumors flying around. One such very interesting speculation is that in addition to Rebel, she has a daughter.
This rumor is based on the fact that she plays the mother of a young girl on her television show, “The Equalizer” on CBS.
The actress, Laya DeLeon Hayes, was only 16 years old when she began playing Queen Latifah’s daughter, Delilah, on the show.
Queen Latifah and Laya DeLeon Hayes star in The Equalizer (Credit: NBCUniversal Television Distribution)
We can’t confirm these rumors; we only hope that this is true because we are sure that Queen Latifah will make a great mom to a young girl just like her onscreen character.
Her years of silence have also led people to guess many things about her life. These have led to some bizarre speculations and crazy rumors, but some seem more probable than others. One such rumor is that she is transgender.
Queen Latifah, pictured at the BET Awards 2021, is rumored to be a transgender woman (Credit: Faye’s Vision / Cover Images / INSTARimages)
Queen Latifah is an LGBTQ icon and a legend, and she might also be a transgender woman if some rumors are to be believed. There have been numerous instances when she was asked about this; however, she always chose to remain quiet.
This remains a mystery, but no matter what, Queen Latifah is a literal Queen and will always be one.
Conclusion
Queen Latifah has moved mountains when it comes to female hip hop. She dared to step foot into the hip hop scene, which was predominantly considered to be a man’s world and made a place for not only herself but also for many other women.
Queen Latifah at the 2022 Variety Power of Women event on May 5, 2022 (Credit: JOHN NACION / startraksphoto)
Her coming out means a lot to her LGBTQ fans and the Pride movement in general. Her announcement helps end the stigma surrounding lesbians worldwide and helps build a safer world where everyone can live with respect and equality.