Bowen Yang is Saturday Night Live's first Chinese-American cast member. Besides that, he is also one of the few openly gay cast members to have ever worked on SNL.

With Yang being an openly gay celebrity, fans of the comedian were left perplexed when he made a post on Instagram saying he was now straight and dating fellow SNL cast member Ego Nwodim.

Was Bowen Yang Dating Ego Nwodim?

Confusion surrounding Yang's sexuality started after he posted a picture with Nwodim and wrote, "announcement: i'm straight now. This is my girlfriend."

Nwodim also made a similar post where she put up a picture of her holding hands with a man. But unlike Yang's post, hers didn't reveal her partner's identity, and she even asked for privacy.

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

Bowen Yang with his reported partner Ego Nwodim.

Bowen Yang with his said partner Ego Nwodim in February 2021. (Photo: Instagram)

The posts confused many people as Yang had been openly gay for as long as he'd been with SNL.

Still, many wondered if the two were actually dating and if the comedian had become straight.

The truth was much more straightforward. The Instagram posts were nothing more than a practical joke the two had created.

This wasn't the first time cast members of Saturday Night Live had played a fake couple for comedic purposes.

And while many fans were quick to pick up on the fact that it was a relationship joke, just as many people were left perplexed.

To add fuel to the fire, his partner Nwodim tweeted, "Should I cheat on Bowen?" on February 8, prompting more laughs and perplexity.

Bowen Yang Had Undergone Gay Conversion Therapy

Yang is an extremely bright comic who is proud to be a member of the LGBTQ community. But he wasn't always like this.

As a son of Chinese immigrants, the SNL cast had a hard time coming to terms with his sexual identity.

In an interview with The New York Times, he revealed that when he began studying at New York University, he tried "straightness," and it didn't work for him.

Yang also shared that when his family first found out he was gay, they were devastated.

His father, who he had only seen cry when Yang's grandfather died, was sobbing in front of him every day at dinner.

In order to appease his parents, the SNL cast agreed to attend gay conversion therapy sessions. He didn't like it one bit, but decided to stick to it for the sake of his parents.

Yang also shared the perspective his parents had on him being gay.

It was a cultural thing for them, this cultural value around masculinity, around keeping the family line going, keeping things holy and sacred.

The comedian said that things with his family had improved greatly, and they were doing their best to understand.

Does Bowen Yang Have a Partner?

Although Yang is pretty vocal about his sexuality now, he is quite reserved regarding his dating life. 

He has never mentioned having a partner or shared his dating status. The news of him having a boyfriend has also never made it to the headlines. 

In addition, he is apparently unmarried and has no husband. It seems like Yang focuses on his career rather than having a romantic partner.