
Issa Rae Shares Which Of Her ‘Insecure’ Love Interests Are The Most Dateable In Real Life

Insecure is the show that just keeps on giving, and no matter how long ago the show ended, we still talk about the friendships, relationships, and unforgettable moments that occurred on the show. One of the recurring conversations is who Issa Rae’s character, Issa Dee, should have really ended up. All the Insecure fans know that the men on the show were FIONE, and Issa had quite the roster. From Lawrence to Nathan, and who can forget Daniel? The men had our eyes glued to our TVs as well as the drama that came along with dating them chile.
However, have you ever wondered if the real people dated like their characters? Issa revealed whether or not they were dateable in real life during her sitdown with Cosmopolitan’s YouTube series Cheap Shots. Starting at the 9:21 mark, the actress and producer who recently released her very own Prosecco brand Viarae, ranked co-stars Jay Ellis (Lawrence), Y’lan Noel (Daniel), and Kendrick Sampson (Nathan) from most to least datable.
“Now, I could go the easy route and say, Jay, he’s married, so he’s technically the least dateable,” she explains. “The second least dateable is for sure Kendrick Sampson because, out of his mouth, he does not like to date,” she reveals. “He’s not a player, but he’s just a lot.”
So, that leaves Y’lan in the number one spot, which I’m sure sounds like music to the ears of Daniel fans everywhere. But not so fast. “And then Y’lan, I think he’s probably the most dateable, but even he’s like…just don’t date actors. All actors are trash, honestly.”
Oh, Issa! While most of the actors keep their personal lives private, there is some information available about their romantic pasts. Here’s what we know.
Y’lan Noel
Y'lan Noel
Photo by Amanda Edwards/Getty Images
The Photograph actor actually dated a certain Insecure co-star. Last December, Amanda Seales revealed on her podcast, The Amanda Show, that she and Y’lan used to be a thing. She even recalled a time when he made her birthday a special moment she wouldn't forget. Let's just say it involves a romantic boat ride, dolphins, a live art performance, and a picnic.
Kendrick Sampson
Kendrick’s dating life has been pretty nonexistent except for a few rumors here and there. The Miss Juneteenth actor was rumored to be dating Naomi Campbell after they both graced the March 2019 cover of British Vogue.
Jay Ellis
Jay Ellis
Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images
Jay is officially off the market after tying the knot in 2022 to longtime partner Nina Senicar. They share a daughter together. Prior to Nina, he also dated The Game actress Brittany Daniel.
Issa Rae Takes Cheap Shots at THESE Celeb Alcohol Brands | Cheap Shots | Cosmopolitan
Issa Rae showed up to Cosmo the morning after a fun night out, and we decided to keep the party going as we presented the writer and actress trays of cheap a...Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for daily love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
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Adrian Marcel On Purpose, Sacrifice, And The 'Signs Of Life'
In this week's episode of xoMAN, host Kiara Walker talked with R&B artist Adrian Marcel, who opened up, full of heart and authenticity, about his personal evolution. He discussed his days transitioning from a young Bay Area singer on the come-up to becoming a grounded husband and father of four.
With honesty and introspection, Marcel reflected on how life, love, and loss have shaped the man he is today.
On ‘Life’s Subtle Signals’
Much of the conversation centered around purpose, sacrifice, and listening to life’s subtle signals. “I think that you really have to pay attention to the signs of life,” Marcel said. “Because as much as we need to make money, we are not necessarily on this Earth for that sole purpose, you know what I mean?” While he acknowledged his ambitions, adding, “that is not me saying at all I’m not trying to ball out,” he emphasized that fulfillment goes deeper.
“We are here to be happy. We are here [to] fulfill a purpose that we are put on here for.”
On Passion vs. Survival
Adrian spoke candidly about the tension between passion and survival, describing how hardship can sometimes point us away from misaligned paths. “If you find it’s constantly hurting you… that’s telling you something. That’s telling you that you’re going outside of your purpose.”
Marcel’s path hasn’t been without detours. A promising athlete in his youth, he recalled, “Early on in my career, I was still doing sports… I was good… I had a scholarship.” An injury changed everything. “My femur broke. Hence why I always say, you know, I’m gonna keep you hip like a femur.” After the injury, he pivoted to explore other careers, including teaching and corporate jobs.
“It just did not get me—even with any success that happened in anything—those times, back then, I was so unhappy. And you know, to a different degree. Like not just like, ‘I really want to be a singer so that’s why I’m unhappy.’ Nah, it was like, it was not fulfilling me in any form or fashion.”
On Connection Between Pursuing Music & Fatherhood
He recalled performing old-school songs at age 12 to impress girls, then his father challenged him: “You can lie to these girls all you want, but you're really just lying to yourself. You ain't growing.” That push led him to the piano—and eventually, to his truth. “Music is my love,” Marcel affirmed. “I wouldn’t be a happy husband if I was here trying to do anything else just to appease her [his wife].”
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Self-Validation, No Meals After 5 P.M. & The Wellness Rituals That Helped Lizzo Take Her Power Back
Don't let the "weight release" fool you, Lizzo's transformation wasn't just physical. It was spiritual, emotional, and deeply personal. In her Women's Health cover story, the "Good As Hell" artist opened up about the low point that became the catalyst for radical change in her life, inside and out.
In the summer of 2023, Lizzo found herself at the center of what she calls painful allegations when some of her former dancers filed a lawsuit against her. The 37-year-old singer has denied their claims, and though she has experienced "backlash my entire career," going through such legal woes coupled with public scrutiny proved to be detrimental to her mental health, leading her to one of the darkest periods of her life.
She told Women's Health, "I got very paranoid and isolated. I wasn’t even talking to my therapist. I wasn’t present. I wasn’t open. I wasn’t myself anymore."
After spending months in isolation, Lizzo, whose real name is Melissa Viviane Jefferson, decided to go to a tour stop on the Renaissance World Tour. She was nervous that the public would shun her, boo her, or reject her, but instead, she was embraced. It shifted something in her and after feeling so in the dark, she saw the light again. "It made me feel like, wow, maybe I don’t want to die," she shared with Women's Health.
"That was the kick-starter to me being like, ‘Okay, Melissa, get your ass in gear and take your f*cking life back.’"
Her first step in Operation Get Your Life Back? Cutting out the external noise. She gave her team total control of her social media and stopped looking at comments. "My validation was from external sources, people telling me they loved me, or that I look good, and accepting me," she explained. "But if that’s all I’m getting my validation from, when it changes—and it will, because people are not always going to like you—what happens? Where are you going to get your love from?"
Lizzo continued, "I can convince myself that I’m beautiful, my body fine, no matter how big or small. But reminding myself that you can’t let others tell you who you are—that was hard work."
Lizzo started going to therapy again, she started practicing quigong meditation, reading books, journaling, and doing sound baths. She released unhealthy relationships, drank echinacea tea, and began incorporating Pilates as a means to "feel sacred" and "be gentle" with herself.
But what many have interpreted as a "weight loss transformation" after she popped out sharing she met her "weight release" goal earlier this year, Lizzo has clarified that it has been something deeper for her than the aesthetic of a smaller body. "I wanted to be big-girl skinny," she told the mag. "Every big girl knows what I’m talking about. Big-girl skinny is 250 pounds." According to her, it was her back issues that inspired her to take the physical part of her wellness journey seriously.
I DID IT! #weightrelease
@lizzo I DID IT! #weightrelease
Through her friend Kelly Rowland, she linked up with her now-trainer Marvin Telp and developed a fitness regimen that prioritized strength and intention. Her weekly schedule now includes moves like single-leg deadlifts, reverse flies, and lateral lunges, along with infrared sauna sessions and cardio. Add to that a change in eating habits after realizing her vegan diet no longer served her (to be fair, she wasn't doing the vegan thing the "healthiest" way).
All the meat substitutes, bread, cashew cheese, and soy left her bloated and lightheaded, so now she's switched things up a bit to fill the nutritional gaps. When it comes to diet, it's heavy on the protein and vegetables for Lizzo. A typical day eating looks like scrambled eggs and cauliflower hash browns for breakfast, Thai chicken salad or lettuce wraps for lunch, and turkey meatloaf with greens for dinner.
She also has a strict cutoff of no meals after 5 p.m. to support her GERD and give her body the time it needs before bed to digest her food sans the acid reflux. Of her relationship with food and wellness, she told Women's Health, "There's a balance. I think that's what true health is."
Read Lizzo's full cover story with Women's Health here.
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