Amanda Seales Opens Up About Feud With Issa Rae, Says She Wasn’t Empowering On “Insecure” Set
Amanda Seales, known for her role in Insecure, has finally broken her silence on the rumored feud between her and Issa Rae, the show’s star and creator.
During an appearance on the Club Shay Shay podcast, the 42-year-old actress addressed the longstanding speculation surrounding her relationship with Issa and her former Insecure costars. According to Amanda, she initially intended to keep the details private but felt compelled to share her side of the story.
The feud allegedly began when Amanda was denied entry to an Emmys party for Black stars in 2019, reportedly due to Issa’s publicist, Vanessa Anderson. Despite Issa’s claim of innocence, Amanda alleged that Vanessa revealed Issa’s dislike towards her, sparking rumors of their feud and negative perceptions of Amanda’s behavior on set.
Amanda refuted these claims in the podcast, stating, “There’s a whole narrative that is completely false that people keep spinning. They keep saying, you know, that I’m this mean girl on this set, that I harmed these people on this set. I just want to point out something very basic. How can I be a mean girl on a set that ain’t my set? How? It’s your show. You are my boss.”
She emphasized that her capacity to influence on set was limited, as Issa held the authority to dismiss her.
As tensions escalated, Amanda noted a deteriorating relationship with her costars, exacerbated by the perceived animosity between her and Issa. Despite the palpable tension, Amanda claimed she consistently acted as the “balm” to diffuse conflicts until the series’ finale.
“By the end of the show, you know, there were just certain scenarios where I had to really always be the bigger person and be the balm to the situation. And in season 5, [Rae] just came out of her face at me one time too many and I just chose to stop being the balm because the show was wrapping,” she recounted.
Reflecting on her experience, Amanda expressed feeling unsupported and undervalued by Issa, contrary to the empowering environment described by others.
“She wasn’t empowering to me. She didn’t feel like I was needed. She didn’t feel like I deserved to be protected. I’m only giving a portion of the situation. But that was my experience. And nonetheless, I have still always protected her because I felt like it was my responsibility to do so. But it is not,” she lamented.
