Hollywood actress Amanda Seales talked about her bond with Issa Rae, who both starred in the HBO series Insecure (2016 – 2021) in a Club Shay Shay podcast interview on April 24 this year.
She said that she never talked about it in public because it was important to protect her co-star Issa Rae. The actress further said that Issa is doing business that few people get to do.
Let’s delve into details about who Amanda Seales is, followed by her education and career, including her relationship with co-actress Issa Rae and their feud.
Who is Amanda Seales?
Amanda Seales was born on July 1, 1981, in Los Angeles, California, United States.
According to the Kennedy Center website, she is a comedian and creative visionary with a Master’s in African American Studies from Columbia University. Seamlessly blending humor and intellect, her unique style of smart, funny content spans various genres across the entertainment and multimedia landscape.
As per IMDb, when it comes to her films and web series, she is well-known for her roles in Cop and a Half, My Brother and Me, Freedomland, and her recent series Insecure. Speaking about her education, she moved to Orlando at the age of 8, where she attended Dr. Phillips High School, before going to SUNY Purchase for a bachelor’s degree, then acquiring her master’s degree in African American studies with a concentration in hip hop from Columbia University.
She began her career journey on the now cult-famous Nickelodeon sitcom My Brother and Me (1994) in the role of Deonne, later becoming widely known to the public as a VJ Amanda Diva, the face of hip-hop on MTV2 Sucker Free Sundays.
She is the CEO of DivaWorks, Inc. It is her production company, under which she performs and produces smart, funny content for the stage and screen. She also hosted a game show named Smart, Funny, & Black. Her work depicts versatility in the industry since she is a comedian, actress, host, and many more.
About Amanda Seales and Issa Rae conflict
In the Club Shay Shay podcast with host Shannon Sharpe, Amanda Seales spoke about her feud with Issa Rae during an interview this April.
“I’ve never talked about this publicly because it has always been incredibly important to me to protect Issa. Because I know that Issa is doing something within this business that so few people get to do,” Seales told host Shannon Sharpe. “I’m not interested in getting a $100 million production deal. That’s not a life that I want for myself. But I know that her role is very important.”
According to USA Today, Seales said friction between her and Rae began when Rae’s publicist Vanessa Anderson allegedly showed animosity toward her during a “Black Emmys party” in 2018. Seales said she informed Rae that Anderson had a “problem” with her, but Rae purportedly chose not to address Seales’ claim.
In 2019, Seales attended the next edition of the “Black Emmys party.” Despite being invited to the event, the Get Your Life star alleged she was denied entry because her name was not featured on the list of authorized attendees.
Even her friend and fellow actor Elijah Kelley helped Seales enter the party; she was later escorted from the event by security guards at the request of Anderson, who reportedly was one of the event planners. The actress added that she was allegedly assaulted by one of the security officials during the escort.
When Issa Rae reached out to her, as Seales mentioned, “She called me and said, ‘Hey, I heard what happened this weekend. I just want you to know I have nothing to do with it.” She added that Rae asked her to speak with Anderson.
Moreover, Seales said she raised the issue of Rae’s lack of involvement in the dispute in their follow-up conversation, to no avail.
“I said, ‘Listen, I am not saying that it’s going to be a problem on set, but I do think it is a problem that you don’t feel that you need to step in,’” Seales recalled. “And she was like, ‘Well, then we just have a difference in opinion. This is between y’all,” she added.
In conclusion, the problem is between Issa Rae’s publicist, Anderson, and Amanda Seales, which led to a feud between Seales and Rae. Because Issa didn’t help Amanda when she was in trouble.
ALSO READ: Who’s Attending 2024 Met Gala And Which Celebrities Are Sitting Out? Get Scoop Here
