The fairly private actor went public with the romance in early January after months of dating speculation. “For all the success that I’ve had, there’s going to be negative reactions and opinions thrown at me. That just comes with it,” he admitted about the scrutiny that comes with fame. “When you’re younger, you’re just frustrated, but when you start to realize that this is what it is, you start to understand. I’m never going to make everybody happy. People are always going to have their opinions about me. People can make up something completely false that has no f–king substance or anything, and there’s going to be 100,000 people that are going to believe it and that’s going to be their opinion of me,” Michael explained, noting he’s learned that “I can’t do anything about that, and I’ve just got to accept that and keep moving in my purpose.”
When they decided to make their relationship public, Michael and Lori seemingly coordinated matching Instagram posts that included PDA photos from their New Year’s celebrations in Utah. — A decision that was likely well thought-out since Michael had never previously shared his past romances on social media, let alone in the public eye.
The Black Panther actor continued, “People that know me know my heart. But people that know me for my work . . . they know what I allow them to know. The fact that I’ve been so closed off about a lot of parts of my life was a personal choice. As I’ve gotten older and a little more mature and comfortable in my own skin, I’ve become less concerned about it.”
In January, fans noticed that Michael had become more loose about his posts on Instagram. Instead of his usual movie and film-focused uploads, he began sharing more off-camera photos and intimate details about his life — specifically with Lori. Additionally, a source recently told HollywoodLife that the relationship is “very serious.”
While Michael told Men’s Health that he’s still keen on keeping many things about his personal life private, we’re glad he’s coming into his own and feeling comfortable sharing more!