Trevor Noah’s Girlfriend, Minka Kelly

The Daily Show host, Trevor Noah, just went Instagram official with girlfriend Minka Kelly.

The two were reportedly involved in an on-again-off-again relationship for about two years, and fans were shocked to see they had reconciled on social media.

Kelly posted a photo of their trip to South Africa, giving fans a not-so-subtle hint they were back together.

Noah and Kelly were first linked in 2020, where People reported they had been quarantining in Noah’s New York City apartment together. 

Although the two kept the romance under wraps, a source told the magazine that “they [were] very happy,” adding that it was “a very serious relationship.”

In the selfie posted by Kelly, she and her beau are joined by his friends from his native South Africa, which included Sizwe Dholomo and his girlfriend, Anele Mdoda.

In her caption, she wrote:

“Take a trip to South Africa. Find friends like these. Have the holiday of a lifetime. Thank you, Mzansi.”

All that said, who is Trevor Noah’s girlfriend?

About Minka Kelly

Minka Kelly is an actress and model best known for her role as Lyla Garrity in Friday Night Lights.

She is the only daughter of Aerosmith guitarist Rick Dufay and was raised by her late mother for most of her childhood and adolescence.

Unsure of where to go after scoring a modeling gig with Playboy, Kelly decided to study to become a surgeon’s assistant and worked as a scrub technician after her studies. 

After making her acting debut in The Turbo Charged Prelude for 2 Fast 2 Furious, Kelly decided to turn her attention towards a promising career in Hollywood.

She appeared in a series of minor roles in Entourage and Drake & Josh before landing her big break in Friday Night Lights.

In 2006, Kelly was cast in the NBC drama based on the high school football team of the same name, where she was a series regular.

Set in the small fictional town of Dillion, she was one of the students attending the local high school.

In order to prepare for her role as the cheerleader, Lyla Garrity, Kelly trained with the Pflugerville High School cheerleading squad, hoping to learn the moves required to guarantee accuracy on screen.

The series premiered in October 2006 to critical acclaim. Kelly was seen as a standout performer in the show, with many critics citing her skills as heartbreaking.

She decided to leave the show at the end of season 3, only making a guest appearance before it concluded.

To explain her absence, the writers decided her character was going to attend college and thus could not be part of the main storylines of the show.

Kelly reflected on her time on the show in an emotional Instagram post in 2019, remembering the cast and crew on the show’s thirteenth anniversary.

She told her followers about her uncertainty at that moment in time, unsure of whether or not the show would take off and if she was wasting her time.

“There was no way a show about football—that was already a movie—about a player who breaks his neck in the pilot episode is going anywhere but a job is a job amirite!” she said.

Kelly was honest about being grateful to the show for her personal success and reflected upon the lessons playing Lyla taught her, adding:

“But it wasn’t about football. It was about relationships, family, humanity, love and loss. It was about longing to fit in and wanting to get out. It was about life in a small town and how a community comes together in good times and bad. Little did I know I hit the proverbial jackpot and the show would go on for 5 years. I’m forever grateful.”

Kelly had a series of successful guest roles after Friday Night Lights, and her next significant project was in another NBC drama, Parenthood.

In Parenthood, Kelly played a behavioral aide to the character of Max, who required help after being diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome.

She appeared in nine episodes of the show before making her final appearance in March of 2011.

Her most recent starring role was in Titans, as part of the DC universe, in a recurring role as Dawn Granger – also known as Dove.

The series was released in October 2018, and Kelly was promoted to series regular in its sophomore season.

Kelly As Trevor Noah’s Girlfriend

After the two were revealed to be dating in 2020, rumors of their relationship began to circulate.

She and Noah decided to keep it as private as possible, which was not an easy feat for two people at their level of fame.

Speculation that they had taken the next step arose when reports of them purchasing real estate became public knowledge.

In November 2020, sources revealed they had reportedly purchased a $27.5 million mansion in Bel-Air.

After lockdown restrictions eased up a bit, the couple planned on living together in the six-bedroom, 12-bathroom home.

A source told People:

“They’re making plans for a future together, and it’s a very stable relationship; they’ve been spending time between coasts over the last year and had been looking for a place in L.A. as a couple.”

The 11,000 square foot home also featured three stories, a gym, steam room, library, wine room, screening room, and chef’s kitchen.

The two broke things off in May 2021, with sources citing their hectic schedules as putting a severe strain on the relationship.

It seems the separation was not to last as they reconciled the following month.

After some time away, it appears as though their relationship was solid enough to give things another go, and the couple seems to be ready to involve their followers.

Noah, never one to publicly discuss a girlfriend, took a big step in acknowledging her on social media, and fans are hopeful things will last this time around.

Although not a romantic photo by any means, being snapped next to his girlfriend amongst his friends is certainly a step towards being ready to share the relationship with the world.