Yvonne Orji is a 39-year-old virgin, and despite anyone else’s opinions, she’s proud of it. This week, a clip of the “Insecure” star’s appearance on Chelsea Handler’s podcast, “Dear Chelsea,” resurfaced on social media. During the Sept. 7 episode, the podcast host asked Orji, a devout Christian, if she’s still a virgin.
“I am,” Orji responded. “Baby, let me tell you, people are all like ‘Aww, Yvonne.’ No, pray for him. Whoever he is, y’all need to start praying for him because there is a lot of pent-up energy up in here with me.”
Both shocked and excited, Handler labeled Orji as “the most original guest [the show has] ever had on.” For Orji, who turns 40 in December, discussing her sexual abstinence is nothing new. Over the course of her career, the comedian and actress has been very candid about waiting until marriage to have sex.
So much so that Orji shared the rationale behind her decision in a 2017 TED Talk; having grown up in a strict Nigerian household where her parents proclaimed she could not date until she was preparing to be married, Orji originally planned to lose her virginity at 18. However, just a few months before her 18th birthday, she attended a college bible study that completely changed her perspective.
“I was never one to buckle under peer pressure, but year after year, I slowly realized that I was becoming the only member of the V-club,” she explained. “And by the time I knew it, y’all, I’d been bamboozled by Jesus. I got saved at 17. I told Him I was going to wait till 18, and He swooped in at 17, and now, 33 and still waiting. It’s all good, though. I don’t mind the wait.”
Though she’s abstaining from sex, Orji explained on the podcast that it has not interfered with her dating. In fact, she recounted having previously been in long-term relationships where sex was never on the table. However, her abstinence did make…
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