diff --git a/src/_pytest/python_api.py b/src/_pytest/python_api.py
index 25cf9f04d61..28d85821eb9 100644
--- a/src/_pytest/python_api.py
+++ b/src/_pytest/python_api.py
@@ -20,6 +20,8 @@
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING
 from typing import TypeVar
 
+import numpy as np
+
 import _pytest._code
 from _pytest.outcomes import fail
 
@@ -438,7 +440,9 @@ def __eq__(self, actual) -> bool:
             return all(self.__eq__(a) for a in asarray.flat)
 
         # Short-circuit exact equality, except for bool
-        if isinstance(self.expected, bool) and not isinstance(actual, bool):
+        if isinstance(self.expected, (bool, np.bool_)) and not isinstance(
+            actual, (bool, np.bool_)
+        ):
             return False
         elif actual == self.expected:
             return True
@@ -447,7 +451,7 @@ def __eq__(self, actual) -> bool:
         # NB: we need Complex, rather than just Number, to ensure that __abs__,
         # __sub__, and __float__ are defined. Also, consider bool to be
         # nonnumeric, even though it has the required arithmetic.
-        if isinstance(self.expected, bool) or not (
+        if isinstance(self.expected, (bool, np.bool_)) or not (
             isinstance(self.expected, (Complex, Decimal))
             and isinstance(actual, (Complex, Decimal))
         ):