A power most of us can only dream of.
According to Michael B. Jordan, you do not want to place a bet against Lupita Nyong’o.
Lupita Nyong'o is making Michael B. Jordan do push-ups whenever she demands because he lost a bet https://t.co/2CHmhBS7p7 pic.twitter.com/pFCq5qLT1I
— Mashable (@mashable) February 14, 2018
Marvel’s latest blockbuster Black Panther has been out for a few weeks now, breaking records and garnering critical acclaim. Since the cast has been on tour promoting the film, a quirky development has become apparent between two of the cast members. Videos posted on Instagram show Lupita Nyong’o, who plays Nakia, telling Michael B. Jordan, who plays the film’s villain, Killmonger, to get down and perform push-ups on the spot.
The backstory is that apparently, at some point during Black Panther‘s press tour, Nyong’o and Jordan made a bet. No one knows what the bet was about, but Nyong’o was clearly the winner, with her prize being the ability to request push-ups from Jordan at any moment she pleases… no matter who (or how many cameras) might be watching!
The first occasion we saw her claim her prize was on February 13, during SiriusXM’s Town Hall in New York City.
WATCH: @Lupita_Nyongo vs @michaelb4jordan in a push-up challenge with @EWlive #BlackPanther #WakandaForever #MichaelBJordan #LupitaNyongo pic.twitter.com/O2ZjfUobwc
— SiriusXM Canada (@siriusxmcanada) February 22, 2018
According to Nyong’o, it was actually her castmates (including Jordan) that introduced her to betting anytime push-ups. The mysterious bet she made with Jordan was for six push-ups in total, and at the time of the interview she’d already used one, leaving five. During the interview with SiriusXM she used her second push-up request, which was thankfully caught on video this time.
The next incident was recorded for Instagram – also taking place on February 13 in New York – this time during the Calvin Klein fashion show. In the video, an unsuspecting Jordan innocently approaches Nyong’o when she asks him to do a push-up. In Nyong’o’s Instagram post, she mentions the push-up quota, captioning the clip with “3 more to go…”
And most recently, on February 19, the castmates were backstage at The View when Nyong’o visited Jordan’s dressing room to claim yet another push-up. At first it looks like Jordan is stalling with compliments and hugs, but he does eventually get down and honor their wager. Nyong’o gave him credit for being a good sport, captioning the video “losing with a smile.”
This means there’s only two more anytime push-ups left in Jordan’s quota, so hopefully Nyong’o uses them strategically.