If there’s one celebrity who keeps her personal life on the low-low, it’s Issa Rae. Although we have watched her skyrocket to fame following the first season of the iconic series Insecure, she has kept her professional life and personal life separate. That was even more apparent when she married her longtime boyfriend, Louis Diame, on July 25, 2021.
The couple tied the knot in the South of France. However, when Issa began sharing photos of their wedding on social media (which are now deleted), she referred to one of the photos as an “Impromptu photo.” In a photo with her husband, she jokingly said it, “Then I took a few flicks with Somebody’s Husband," feeding us a little information, but not too much.
What we do know about Louis is that his career is in international banking. He’s said to be Senegalese, and he appeared on an episode of Issa’s web series, The Mis-Adventures of Awkward Black Girl. It’s the episode where Issa’s character Jay goes on a date with white Jay and gets nasty looks from people in the restaurant, including her then-boyfriend Louis.
Another fun fact is that the American Fiction actress’ family seems to like him. Issa’s brother, Lamine, told Us Weekly in 2019, “He’s just a good guy, man. He’s just a cool guy,” he said. “They’ve been dating forever. He’s already been like a brother to me. Family ties at all the family events and dinners, Christmas, Thanksgiving.”
Here’s everything Issa has said about her relationship with Louis.
Issa on Her Wedding to Louis
Following their wedding, the Viarae Prosecco founder stopped by the Tamron Hall Show and said she “publicly” claims him and talked about the special occasion. "It was just a beautiful experience," she recalled.
"People tell you that it goes by fast, and they're right. But my thing was, it was a party. At the end of the day, it was just a big party. And it was a lot of fun. I feel so blessed to be surrounded by people who took the time out to just come and celebrate, and that's something that I'll cherish for the rest of my life."
Issa on Married Life with Louis and Whether She Wants Kids
Issa further opened up about being a newlywed in a cover story for SELF magazine and said she was “extremely happy.” When the question arose about having kids, however, she had this to say.
“I like my life, I like this selfishness, and I know that I have a window. I’ve always felt that way, that women, Black women especially—unless you’re Viola Davis or Angela Bassett—you have a window when people are going to want to continue to see you and see what you can do,” she explained.
“Then there are so many limitations placed upon you, and that does keep me up. I want to do as much as I can while I still can. I know it’s not the proper mentality to think that kids will slow you down, but I do feel that way.”
Issa on Being “Super Protective” of Her Relationship
Issa Rae and Louis Diame
Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images for Essence
In the April 2021 cover story for Rolling Stone, the journalist shared how protective Louis was as she interviewed Issa. She explained how he was at their home, and later in the week, he showed up during her early morning stroll with the star, staying on the opposite side of the street. This was during the pandemic and yes, they quarantined together.
But Louis isn’t alone. The multi-hyphenate feels the same way about their relationship. “I just feel superprotective of any relationship I’m in,” she said. “That’s come from observing and making fun of people over the years who broadcast the most intimate parts of their relationships, then are left with egg on their face. I call them the ‘me and my boo’ people. Let me embarrass myself. Don’t let a nigga embarrass you. That’s always been my focus.”
Issa on How Keeping Her Privacy is a Form of Self-Care
The producer shared with SELF magazine about the importance of keeping her peace. Like many social media users, Issa often shared a lot of herself on the platforms. However, she began to change her habits pertaining to her personal life.
“I think the little time I’ve been in the industry, I’ve witnessed how so many people who are front-facing don’t have a peace and aren’t at peace, and that’s always been troubling to me,” she said.
“In this age of social media, where I was an avid user, I would share so much of myself, of my friend group, and it was fun because it felt like [it was] just among my friends. The more I started to seep out, the more I felt like people took ownership of me and my decisions and things that I did. That's just not something that sat right with me, and I found that I don’t like to be the subject of conversations that I don’t initiate. There’s just something uncomfortable about that.”
So, when it comes to her marriage, Issa is mindful of keeping some things for herself. "There's something really nice to have a piece of me that no one knows about or no one can talk about except for the people that are part of my life," she said. "Self-care has been having a private piece that's just for me."
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Feature image by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
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