Childish Gambino Dispels “Friend Zone” Rumor, Fans Speculate on Jhené Aiko Connection

Childish Gambino, the multifaceted artist, recently addressed a lingering rumor about being “friend-zoned” by a famous collaborator, sparking speculation among fans about the individual in question.

During an interview with Buzzfeed alongside Maya Erskine, his co-star in “Mr. & Mrs. Smith,” Glover responded to Erskine’s question about dispelling a rumor. She asked, “What is a rumor that you hate that is out that you wanna disprove right now?”

Glover clarified, “There was a rumor I got friend-zoned by someone once. Someone. But I didn’t get friend-zoned by them. The rumor is I got friend-zoned by them. I didn’t get friend-zoned by them. I got other zoned.”

Many fans immediately speculated that the person referred to might be singer Jhené Aiko.

On X (formerly Twitter), one fan commented, “Donald Glover holding on to Jhene Aiko is understandable,” with another adding humorously, “Jhene Aiko is Donald Glover’s Rihanna,” drawing a parallel to Drake’s rumored fling with his “Work” collaborator.

Childish Gambino and Jhené Aiko notably collaborated on the 2013 songs “Pink Toes” and “Bed Peace,” and Glover also directed the music video for Aiko’s “The Pressure.”

During the time of their collaboration, Glover expressed admiration for Aiko, stating, “I think she’s special. She doesn’t need anyone. Like, that’s the thing. Even if we were together, she wouldn’t really belong to me. She doesn’t belong to anything, and I would know that. And that’s the thing, I’ve never had to deal with that… She’s off in her own world.”

Despite speculation, Aiko previously denied being in a romantic relationship with Glover, stating, “We’re friends, we’re good friends. That’s all I’m going to say … We’re still getting to know each other.”

Currently, Childish Gambino is happily married to Michelle White, whom he wed in 2019, and they share three children. On the other hand, Jhené Aiko was previously married to producer Dot Da Genius in 2016, and after a quick divorce, she began dating Big Sean, with the couple welcoming a child together in 2022. Recently, Sean and Aiko celebrated their son’s first birthday with a trip to the zoo, showcasing their joy on social media.