Dating rumors about the stars of Netflix’s A Different World are only getting louder! Maleah Joi Moon and Cornell Young IV, who play on-again, off-again couple Deborah Wayne and Shaquille Johnson in the Hillman College sequel series, have fans convinced that something real is brewing off-screen.
As BOSSIP previously reported, the buzz picked up after Moon, 24, and Young, 26, were spotted together at a watch party for the “A Different World” premiere in Young’s hometown of St. Louis. Footage shows Moon trailing behind Young and clapping for him alongside his family, and none of their co-stars appeared to be there.
Then came the birthday surprise.
Young reportedly presented Moon with a cake after her September 23rd birthday, getting down on one knee as she smiled, looked shocked, and shed a few happy tears. She also shared a warm hug with Young’s mother, which gave the internet plenty to dissect.
Neither star has confirmed anything beyond friendship and a professional partnership, and the pair haven’t shared obvious evidence of a romance on their social media pages. When a fan asked Young this month if he was single, he reportedly didn’t give a straight answer. “I love my work,” he said before laughing, with Moon standing nearby. Fans in the comments were happy to fill in the blanks.
What The A Different World Stars Are Saying About Their Bond
The two have been open about how close they are, though. During a recent appearance on “The Jennifer Hudson Show” alongside original cast member Kadeem Hardison, the pair explained why their scenes work so well. “I think I said this recently, but just like a player on a team, the best actor is only as good as their scene partner,” Moon said, according to TheGrio. “And Cornell is not only such a wonderful human, but he is an amazing actor, and I feel like the chemistry comes from the fact that I’m inspired by him in many ways.”
Young returned the praise. “To be able to work across from a Tony Award winner, a Grammy-Award singer, you know, it’s honestly a blessing,” he said. “I’m grateful to work across from her, and again, as she said, she’s an amazing soul. So, to be able to have the bond and friendship that we have, and to be able to connect and for people to feel that on camera, is a blessing. So, I’m just honored.”
Both actors also spoke warmly about stepping into a legacy. Moon said she’s grateful to have the original cast “pass the torch to us so gracefully and with so much love and familiarity,” calling the franchise “a cultural juggernaut.” Young said the veterans welcomed the newcomers with open arms. “It was like, ‘No, take up space. Y’all are here for a reason. We got y’all. Whatever y’all need,’” he recalled.
When BOSSIP caught up with him at the Netflix Atlanta premiere on September 21, he described the cast as a real family. “Like we go to dinner together, we’re intentional with each other,” he said. “It’s a blessing.”
Young’s dating life also made headlines this week for a different reason. On a recent episode of The Shop, hosted by Tony Bennett and Steelo Brim, he said he has always preferred older women. “I always grew up around older people,” he explained, crediting time spent with his grandmother, great-aunts and great-uncles. “All the women I’ve ever dated [have] always been older than me,” he said, adding that for him it comes down to craving a mature woman. Moon is two years younger than Young, so fans have been quick to point out how that comment fits, or doesn’t fit, with the #YoungMoon theory. Co-star Darryl M. Bell joked that older women would be hoping for a chance.
Whatever is or isn’t happening behind the scenes, the series itself is thriving. “A Different World” premiered September 24th, quickly reached number one on Netflix, and has already been renewed for a second season. Young is also riding a busy run, having starred as Donovan in Tyler Perry’s new Netflix film Doing Life, which premiered globally earlier this month.
