It was the video that had Insecure fans in a chokehold. It was Labor Day, Sept. 4, and Issa Rae posted a video on Instagram that featured her and her Insecure castmates, Yvonne Orji, Jay Ellis, and Natasha Rothwell. They all had big smiles on their faces while mentioning the writer's strike that was happening at the time. Insecure fans were shook as this was the first time we've seen the cast together in years after the beloved HBO (now Max) show ended in 2021. No one knew the reason behind their reunion, and fans were begging for a reboot. Now, the Barbie star is spilling the beans. In a recent appearance on TODAY with Hoda & Jenna, Issa talked about new projects and reuniting with her cast.
"It was so much fun. Jay hit the group chat," she said. "It was like a nice little reunion. He was like I miss you guys. We were all unemployed, and we all had time to hang out." Issa revealed that Jay, who played her boyfriend Lawrence on the show, suggested they all get lunch together, and he brought a special guest.
"He brought his daughter, so it was like a family affair," she said. "She was running him, you know, I got to see what kind of dad he is. He's a great dad, but she runs the house."
Insecure has continued to have a hold on fans, and now that it is available on Netflix, many people have rewatched the cultural phenomenon and rehashed storylines from Issa and Molly's friendship to whom Issa should have ended up with. While the show may have ended, the stars' individual success continues. See what our faves have been up to lately.
Issa Rae
Issa is in her second season of Rap Sh!t as the executive producer. She is also expanding her media company HooRae, which also houses her record label, Raedio, and she just released her own Prosecco called Viarae. Aside from business ventures, she just starred in Barbie and will be featured in American Fiction.
Jay Ellis
Jay Ellis has been stacking up movie credits. So far, he has starred in the Amazon Original Somebody That I Used To Know, Hulu's History of The World: Part II, and the blockbuster film Top Gun: Maverick.
Yvonne Orji
Yvonne Orji wrote her memoir Bamboozled by Jesus and is currently starring in a Hertz commercial alongside NFL legend Tom Brady. When it comes to film projects, she has starred in The Blackening and the comedy special Yvonne Orji: A Whole Me.
L-R: Issa Rae, Natasha Rothwell, and Yvonne Orji
Photo by FilmMagic/FilmMagic for HBO
Natasha Rothwell
Natasha Rothwell starred in the first season of Max's The White Lotus and will be returning for the third season. She also appeared in Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and announced her new Hulu show, How To Die Alone, where she will star and write in.
Amanda Seales
While Amanda Seales didn't make the reunion, her character Tiffany rounded out the core cast. Since the show's ending, she has kept busy with the launch of her podcast Small Doses and recently premiered her political-comedy documentary, In Amanda We Trust.
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In a xoNecoleexclusive, the iconic actress opens up about embracing this season of her life, new projects, and overall being a “bad motherfucker.” Gabrielle reveals that she was 37 years old when she was diagnosed with perimenopause and is still going through it at 51 years old. Mayo Clinic says perimenopause “refers to the time during which your body makes the natural transition to menopause, marking the end of the reproductive years.”
“I haven't crossed over the next phase just yet, but I think part of it is when you hear any form of menopause, you automatically think of your mother or grandmother. It feels like an old-person thing, but for me, I was 37 and like not understanding what that really meant for me. And I don't think we focus so much on the word menopause without understanding that perimenopause is just the time before menopause,” she tells us.
Gabrielle Union
Photo by Brian Thomas
"But you can experience a lot of the same things during that period that people talk about, that they experienced during menopause. So you could get a hot flash, you could get the weight gain, the hair loss, depression, anxiety, like all of it, mental health challenges, all of that can come, you know, at any stage of the menopausal journey and like for me, I've been in perimenopause like 13, 14 years. When you know, most doctors are like, ‘Oh, but it's usually about ten years, and I'm like, ‘Uhh, I’m still going (laughs).’”
Conversations about perimenopause, fibroids, and all the things that are associated with women’s bodies have often been considered taboo and thus not discussed publicly. However, times are changing, and thanks to the Gabrielle’s and the Tia Mowry’s, more women are having an authentic discourse about women’s health. These open discussions lead to the creation of more safe spaces and support for one another.
“I want to be in community with folks. I don't ever want to feel like I'm on an island about anything. So, if I can help create community where we are lacking, I want to be a part of that,” she says. “So, it's like there's no harm in talking about it. You know what I mean? Like, I was a bad motherfucker before perimenopause. I’m a bad motherfucker now, and I'll be a bad motherfucker after menopause. Know what I’m saying? None of that has to change. How I’m a bad motherfucker, I welcome that part of the change. I'm just getting better and stronger and more intelligent, more wise, more patient, more compassionate, more empathetic. All of that is very, very welcomed, and none of it should be scary.”
The Being Mary Jane star hasn’t been shy about her stance on therapy. If you don’t know, here’s a hint: she’s all for it, and she encourages others to try it as well. She likens therapy to dating by suggesting that you keep looking for the right therapist to match your needs. Two other essential keys to her growth are radical transparency and radical acceptance (though she admits she is still working on the latter).
"I was a bad motherfucker before perimenopause. I’m a bad motherfucker now, and I'll be a bad motherfucker after menopause. Know what I’m saying? None of that has to change. How I’m a bad motherfucker, I welcome that part of the change."
Gabrielle Union and Kaavia Union-Wade
Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images
“I hope that a.) you recognize that you're not alone. Seek out help and know that it's okay to be honest about what the hell is happening in your life. That's the only way that you know you can get help, and that's also the only other way that people know that you are in need if there's something going on,” she says, “because we have all these big, very wild, high expectations of people, but if they don't know what they're actually dealing with, they're always going to be failing, and you will always be disappointed. So how about just tell the truth, be transparent, and let people know where you are. So they can be of service, they can be compassionate.”
Gabrielle’s transparency is what makes her so relatable, and has so many people root for her. Whether through her TV and film projects, her memoirs, or her social media, the actress has a knack for making you feel like she’s your homegirl. Scrolling through her Instagram, you see the special moments with her family, exciting new business ventures, and jaw-dropping fashion moments. Throughout her life and career, we’ve seen her evolve in a multitude of ways. From producing films to starting a haircare line to marriage and motherhood, her journey is a story of courage and triumph. And right now, in this season, she’s asking, “What’s next?”
“This is a season of discovery and change. In a billion ways,” says the NAACP Image Award winner. “The notion of like, ‘Oh, so and so changed. They got brand new.’ I want you to be brand new. I want me to be brand new. I want us to be always constantly growing, evolving. Having more clarity, moving with different purpose, like, and all of that is for me very, very welcomed."
"I want you to be brand new. I want me to be brand new. I want us to be always constantly growing, evolving. Having more clarity, moving with different purpose, like, and all of that is for me very, very welcomed."
She continues, “So I'm just trying to figure out what's next. You know what I mean? I'm jumping into what's next. I'm excited going into what's next and new. I'm just sort of embracing all of what life has to offer.”
Look out for Gabrielle in the upcoming indie film Riff Raff, which is a crime comedy starring her and Jennifer Coolidge, and she will also produce The Idea of You, which stars Anne Hathaway.
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