Yvonne Orji has recently revealed on Chelsea Handler’s podcast that she was still planning on saving herself for marriage.
Perhaps best known for her role as the sexually liberated Molly Carter in HBO’s Insecure, the actress has been outspoken about her virginity – first revealing it in a 2017 interview with People Magazine.
At the time, she shared that she was a dedicated Christian and that she wasn’t going to hide it “just because I’m on TV,” because she’s “grounded in” who she is.
“Before any of [the fame] happened, I sat down with myself and with God and thought, ‘When I make it, how do you want me to represent you while I’m here? It was like, ‘OK, I know why I’m here. It’s to make you proud,'” she explained.
So, if there’s one thing the American-Nigerian actress isn’t insecure about, is that she is still a virgin at 39 – opening up about her sex life (or lack thereof) on a September 7 episode of Chelsea Handler’s podcast, Dear Chelsea.
Watch Orji on Handler’s podcast below:
About 15 minutes into the episode, the 48-year-old comedian asked the Primetime Emmy Award nominee “Are you still a virgin?” to which Orji responded with a strong, “I am.”
Then Handler enthusiastically exclaimed: “Oh my god! I love this. This is the most original guest we ever had on!” before asking “And what are you, 39?” Orji simply responded again, “I am.”
After listening to Orji’s confession about her virginity, the former Chelsea Lately host quipped: “That dam is going to break one day, baby. And let me tell you-”
Then the Vacation Friends actress joked that while people want to pray for her, she advised them to “pray for him” because whoever her partner is, they will have to deal with all of her “pent-up” sexual energy.
“You’re going to hit your sexual peak when you start having sex, so yeah, you’re going to need a couple of men, probably,” Handler added, to which Orji joked that she will go from “a virgin to polyamory”.
Yvonne Orji. Credit: Jamie McCarthy Getty
The clip has made rounds on the internet and resulted in many people supporting Orji and praising her for being outspoken.
One user said on Instagram: “You’re amazing, love your transparency and openness,” while another commented: “I love this so much.”
A third user on X (formerly known as Twitter) remarked: “I love how open Yvonne is about this and it ain’t s*** to be ASHAMED about. Her BELIEFS, her BODY, her LIFE.”
A fourth user joked: “Yvonne Orji is 39 and a virgin and ain’t missed out on a motherf***ing thing.”
Credit: Amanda Stronza / Getty
The Bamboozled by Jesus author hasn’t been shy about the intimate details of her personal life.
In 2017, Orji headlined a TEDx talk titled “The Wait is Sexy” in Delaware – which was about destigmatizing the subject of virginity. The video has amassed 2.1 million views on YouTube.
While the actress has received positive responses to her speech, she clarified in an interview with the Los Angeles Times that she wasn’t trying to force her beliefs on others, but was simply speaking out about her perspective.
“It was explaining to people why I waited and what worked for me, but then it’s also saying, ‘Hey, girl, I get it.’ My 17-year-old self was not trying to be waiting, but I got bamboozled by Jesus,” she said. “And so if this is not your testimony that’s fine, but here’s what you can wait for in a relationship that is still equally as important.”
