Seales called herself an “icon” for her decades of contributions to music and pop culture.
ByJaelani Turner-Williams
August 8, 2026
Key Takeaways
- Amanda Seales rejects claims she is jealous of Issa Rae or struggling in her career, saying she “divested from Hollywood” by choice and has “had a Hollywood career” spanning back to 1994.
- In an Instagram reel, she praises Rae for getting Insecure made at HBO while emphasizing her own résumé, from Def Poetry Jam and Q-Tip collaborations to opening for Paul Mooney, Chris Rock, and Dave Chappelle, and being only the second Black woman with an HBO comedy special.
- Seales notes she appeared across all five seasons of Insecure and shows memorabilia from the series as she addresses her exclusion from the upcoming Insecure: The 10th Anniversary Tour amid long-standing tension with Rae and past incidents like being removed from a 2019 Emmys event.
Amanda Seales has pushed back against claims that she’s struggling professionally and jealous of her former Insecure co-star Issa Rae.
In an Instagram reel posted this week, Seales asserted her decades of entertainment industry experience while giving Rae props for landing Insecureon HBO. The show, which aired 2016 to 2021, starred Rae as protagonist Issa Dee, while Seales played one of the character’s friends, Tiffany DuBois.
Seales recalled meeting Rae in 2014 and the actor expressing frustration at the time about Insecure not finding a home, which would ultimately change some time later. “I have nothing but respect for the ability to get something from your mind onto the page and onto the screen,” Seales said.
“Someone said I’m jealous of Issa Rae because she has the Hollywood career, the Hollywood friends and the marriage,” she said. “Baby, if that is what she desires, bless her. I have had a Hollywood career.”
The entertainer then listed off her résumé to show proof of being seasoned in the industry. Seales showed her SAG card that dated back to 1994, mentioned appearances on former show Def Poetry Jam, collaborations with Q-Tip, and comedy opening sets for Paul Mooney, Chris Rock, and Dave Chappelle.
“Don’t ever get it twisted that just because I’m here hanging out with y’all that I’m in a struggle. I have time because I’m retired. I divested from Hollywood,” Seales continued.
The remarks arrive in the wake of the Insecure: The 10th Anniversary Tour announcement, which features cast members Jay Ellis, Yvonne Orji, and Natasha Rothwell on select dates. Seales was not included in the lineup one year after expressing a refusal to work with Rae again and claiming that they nearly got into a physical altercation.
On a 2024 episode of Club Shay Shay, Seales also recounted being booted from a 2019 Emmys event by Rae’s publicist, although the American Fiction star denied that it was at her request.
