Were Ego Nwodim and Bowen Yang engaged? What we know about the comedians' dating life

Comedians Ego Nwodim and Bowen Yang caused a fair amount of speculation in early 2021 after they seemingly acted like a couple. They shared Instagram photos holding hands, and there was a surprise proposal on the Saturday Night Live stage, too.

The rumors began when both Nwodim and Yang posted affectionate photos and captions on Instagram in Feberuray 2021, indicating a blossoming romance. Ego Nwodim posted a photo of the two holding hands, and wrote:

"I have a boyfriend now and I’m the happiest I’ve ever been. But please respect my privacy."

According to a Distractify report published on February 27, 2021, Yang, too, posted a similar photo on Instagram with the caption:

"Announcement: I’m straight now. This is my girlfriend."

Thanks to their posts, the internet was filled with rumors about the duo. What many fans didn’t know at that time was that the relationship started as an inside joke while they were working on SNL.

To take the bit a step further, during the end credits of the January 6 episode of SNL, Bowen Yang went down on one knee and pretended to propose to Ego Nwodim. According to Distractify, he followed up on Instagram with a photo with Nwodim, writing:

“Love wins!”

The following day, Nwodim posted on X (formerly known as Twitter):

“Should I cheat on Bowen?”

Her post made it clear that the whole thing was a playful gag among friends.

More about Ego Nwodim’s thoughts on love and her recent controversial SNL bit.

Ego Nwodim has kept her personal life relatively private, though she is not shy about taking jabs at the dating scene. She joked on X in 2017 about the many surfer bros on dating apps and explained that she knows to avoid them because they may get her hair wet.

She has also spoken about her love affair with the food delivery service Postmates, jokingly comparing their long-term relationship to

one “that never lets me down.”

In a 2023 interview with Sixtysix magazine, Nwodim opened up with more serious thoughts on love and relationship. She admitted that she was searching for a soulmate, and envisioned a future where she had settled down with a family in Los Angeles.

Ego Nwodim’s recent Weekend Update sketch on Saturday Night Live took an unexpected turn when her character, a comedienne named Miss Eggy, gave the audience the chance to respond to her prompts, only to have them loudly and enthusiastically shout profanity at her.

Pretending to audition for the job of the host at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, Nwodim began chatting with the crowd, who yelled a curse word, leading her to break character in shock. Hosts Colin Jost and Michael Che could barely contain their laughter as Nwodim joked that she could —

“maybe get fired.”