Earlier this year, Amanda Seales sat down with Shannon Sharpe for an interview on his Club Shay Shay podcast. Unsurprisingly, the interview quickly made waves online. Almost immediately, fans called Sharpe out for his behavior during the interview. They accused him of downplaying Seales’ experiences with racism and more. She even went on to put him on blast for questioning her autism diagnosis.
“Shannon: But have you been clinically diagnosed? Me: Yes. There is a clinical diagnosis for Autism. He then hung his head and exhaled in frustration because I did not answer his question,” she wrote on Instagram at the time. “I was not going to be pressured by this man who was interrogating me with absolutely zero love for me into proving something to him that L. By his line of questioning, he had already committed to undermining.” Now, Seales is opening up about the interview once again, and firing back at those dismissing the negative experience she had.
“You didn’t see the whole interview,” she began on live. “They cut out portions of the interview. Don’t tell me what I experienced. How are you gonna tell somebody ‘you weren’t attacked’? Yes I was. That man sat up there and literally said to me ‘What you’re saying isn’t right.’ They cut out when Shannon Sharpe literally said to me, ‘It seems like anybody who doesn’t agree with you, you say they’re racist.’ And I literally had to say to him, ‘Is there a reason that you are being so hostile with me?’“
Seales continued, explaining how she believes the conversation about her autism diagnosis should have gone. Sharpe isn’t the only person Seales has had issues with in recent months, as she also went back and forth with Icewear Vezzo over Donald Trump earlier this year. Eventually, he apologized for going overboard with his remarks.
It’s no secret that Issa Rae and Amanda Seales have had their fair share of differences in the past. During her appearance on Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay podcast earlier this year, Seales opened up about some of the downsides to her experience working on Insecure with Rae, claiming that she never felt empowered. “She wasn’t empowering to me. [Issa] didn’t feel like I was needed. She didn’t feel like I deserved to be protected,” Seales said at the time. “I’m only giving a portion of the situation. But that was my experience. And nonetheless, I have still always protected her because I felt like it was my responsibility to do so. But it is not.”
It looks like Rae heard Seales’ comments loud and clear, and doesn’t want to work with her again in the future. Recently on The Breakfast Club, they played audio of her speaking at an event for her wine brand in Brooklyn. When asked who she would never collaborate with again, her answer was Seales.
Issa Rae Addresses Amanda Seales’ Club Shay Shay Comments
“The person I would not work with again… Anyone who goes on a podcast and talks sh*t about me,” she said. The crowd proceeded to go wild, indicating that while Rae did not call Seales out by name, they all knew who she was referring to. This is the first time Rae has commented on her long-rumored feud with Seales publicly, and at the time of writing, Seales has yet to respond.
Seales’ appearance on Club Shay Shayhasn’t only made headlines for reigniting her feud with Rae, however. Sharpe was also under fire following the release of the episode for downplaying Seales’ experiences with bullying, autism, and more. What do you think of Issa Rae claiming that she never wants to work with Amanda Seales again? Does this surprise you or not? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.
DJ Akademiks is one of the internet’s most popular commentators, so it is no surprise that he had something to say about Amanda Seales’ remarks. Former United States President Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt on July 13 at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Secret Service agents quickly neutralized the shooter, later identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks. Shots meant for Trump, who was hit in the ear by one, killed rally attendee Corey Comperatore and injured two others.
Actress Amanda Seales, who was in the news earlier this year for her controversial interview with Shannon Sharpe on his Club Shay Shay podcast, shared her thoughts on Instagram. “That was more staged than a Tyler Perry production of ‘Madea Runs for President,’” said Seales. She added that she “lived in Harlem long enough to know gunshots do not sound like making popcorn on the stove.” After receiving ire for her remarks, she deleted the video and issued a slight retraction.
DJ Akademiks Reacts To Amanda Seales’ Instagram Video
DJ Akademiks reacted to Seales’ comments on his Twitch livestream, and he did not mince words. He repeatedly referred to her in a derogatory manner, using expletives to describe her. “Some of y’all are so glued into whatever political view y’all have, y’all dismiss reality. B*tch, wake up. There’s a f*cking whole investigation by the FBI outside in Butler. Drive over there and go see if they’re investigating staged sh*t,” said Akademiks.
DJ Akademiks has previously voiced his support for former president Trump, so his reaction is not necessarily a surprising one. He has previously come under fire for the way he speaks about women. His reaction to Seales’ comments also drew criticism. As for Trump, his presidential campaign continued without much of a hitch. He issued a statement on Truth Social commending the Secret Service’s quick response and calling for unity. On Sunday evening, President Joe Biden delivered a speech from the Oval Office calling for an end to all forms of political violence. Trump will announce his running mate at the Republican National Convention on Monday, ahead of a presumed Election Day rematch with Biden.
Earlier this week, Icewear Vezzo took to Instagram to show off how he spent his weekend, sharing a few photos of himself posing alongside none other than Donald Trump. According to him, he told the former U.S. president that he “Made the 6 great again.” He also went on to write a lengthy message about how he’s not sure who he’ll vote for in the upcoming election yet. He claims that he was simply “taking [his] grievances directly to the sources.”
Of course, this prompted quite the debate in the rapper’s comments section, with several followers criticizing him for seemingly supporting Trump. Amanda Seales even took to her own page to issue an apparent response. She slammed those who take “pictures with people who have actively harmed” the Black community.
He was quick to fire back on his Instagram Story, labeling Seales a “weirdo” as well as a “lying little girl,” and urging her to “stop talking so much and give back.” Shortly after, however, he appeared to have a change of heart after speaking with Seales directly. “I talked to Amanda it’s all love,” he began. “She’s a woman I should’ve never went that hard on her no matter what she did it’s not that serious she’s entitled to her opinions even tho there was an assumption made about me based off [a] picture with zero audio…”
At the time of writing, it’s unclear exactly what was said during Icewear Vezzo’s conversation with Seales. Fortunately, however, it seems as though it worked out in the end. What do you think of Amanda Seales criticizing Icewear Vezzo for his apparent support of Donald Trump? What about him firing back in his initial response, then walking it back? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.
Earlier this week, Amanda Seales took to TikTok to react to a clip of Tiffany Haddish’s controversial comments during a recent comedy set at Netflix Is A Joke’s Outside Joke Fest. While onstage, the Girls Trip actress called out an audience member, ranting about the Israel and Palestine conflict and the college protests it’s prompted. “The colleges, right?” she began. “I don’t give a f**k about that sh*t. I’ve never gone to college. Why would I care about college?”
Her remarks quickly earned a reaction from Seales, who urged fans interested in global issues to come to her shows instead. “I’m not sure what’s going on with sis, but if you want to come to a comedy show where we do care about college and college students, and folks who didn’t go to college, and Black liberation, and Palestine, and Africa, and the Sudan, and Congo, and things that matter… [You] wanna maybe come to an Amanda Seales show,” she said.
Now, Haddish has come back with an apparent response, also taking the opportunity to promote her book I Curse You With Joy. “Some people out here will say they’re your friends, and they will constantly, actually, be hating your guts. Really just jealous, wishing they could be where you are, and then when the opportunity strikes, they show who they really are,” she explained in a clip shared on Instagram yesterday.
“If anything, I’ll curse them with joy,” she continued. “I’m glad that my hard work and dedication has gotten me to such a point in my life where they need to use my name to make themselves relevant or to promote whatever they’re promoting … and I’m not going to sh*t on them because they do it enough to themselves.” What do you think of Tiffany Haddish’s apparent response to Amanda Seales? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.
In their Club Shay Shay interview, Amanda Seales revealed quite a lot to Shannon Sharpe. After stating, she lifted a lot of brothers, specifically naming Boldy James.
Airing out her laundry, Seales says, “I’ve done paid probation fees because n—as could rap and I want them to be able to live in their talent and their truth. I done spoke to a damn P.O. to vouch. Boldy James. And you owe me money.”
Boldy hasn’t confirmed or denied the accusations, and he may not have to. The Twitter streets found the facts in his raps.
During the same episode, Seales stated she does not feel protected by Issa Rae.
Seales appeared on Insecure with Issa Rae and revealed how their relationship went south during an Emmys party called the Black Emmys, which Issa was part of planning. Seales stated there was an issue between Seales and her publicist, but Issa Rae would not get involved in the matter. The following year, Seales stated she promoted the party and attended with Insecure co-star Kendrick Sampson but was stopped from entry by a woman who was “white-passing.”
Later in the conversation, Seales says, “I know Issa is doing something within this business that so few people get to do. I know her role is very important and so I’ve always protected Issa. However, there’s been enough instances at this point where I should’ve been protected by Issa and I wasn’t.”
She added, “My protecting of Issa is being turned on me and is something being used against me.”
You can hear it all from Amanda Seales below.
“I know Issa is doing something within this business that so few people get to do. … I know her role is very important and so I’ve always protected Issa. However, there’s been enough instances at this point where I should’ve been protected by Issa and I wasn’t.” – Amanda Seales pic.twitter.com/yHQY1J3mS9
Last week, Amanda Seales’ Club Shay Shay interview dropped, along with no shortage of interesting revelations. During the interview, for example, she reflected on just how far she’s gone to help out her Black former partners. She brought up Boldy James as an example, claiming to have previously spoken to a parole officer for him. Seales even accused him of being in debt to her.
“If I hate Black men, I want a refund, Shannon,” she told Sharpe, shutting down any rumors that she “hates” Black men. “You know how many brothers I have lifted up? I want a refund!” She went on, listing some of the instances where she went out of her way to help out her exes. “I’ve done paid probation fees because n***as could rap and I want them to be able to live in their talent and their truth,” she explained. “I done spoke to a damn P.O. [probation officer] to vouch, Boldy James. And you owe me money.”
Further details of Seales’ relationship with Boldy James remain unclear, though he did rap about her on his track “Guilt” in 2021. Back then, he referred to her as her character in My Brother and Me, Miss Wilburn. “Hunnid a G, ‘member I got fronted the key/ ‘Fore the bag came, my gas tank was under the E/ Life took a ill turn on that Sunderland spree/ Now I’m f*ckin’ Miss Wilburn from ‘My Brother and Me’,” he rhymed.
Elsewhere in her interview, she also reflected on the other artists she’s dated, like Pusha T and Lupe Fiasco. “As you can see, the rappers that I have dated are very great MCs, because I have high quality,” she said. What do you think of Amanda Seales’ recent appearance on Club Shay Shay? What about her accusing Boldy James of owing her money? Are you surprised? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.
The fallout from Amanda Seales’ Club Shay Shay interview with Shannon Sharpe is still coming. Seales made waves last week for her interview, where several subjects were talked about with countless reactions from fans. Seales has checked host Shannon Sharpe for attempting to downplay her experiences with racism. Sharpe’s performance in the interview drew criticism from viewers who said Sharpe seemed unempathetic to Seales throughout. Seales also took to Instagram to address Sharpe, dismissing her claims of having Autism. The interview was filled with controversy and content for fans to chew on.
Shannon Sharpe, seemingly unaffected by the criticism, discussed the interview with Chad Ochicinco and Gilbert Arenas. The trio delved into the relationship issues that Seales had candidly shared in the interview. Arenas, a former basketball player turned podcaster, offered his analysis on Seales’ dating life. Seales, not one to shy away from a challenge, responded to Arenas’ comments, sparking another round of discussion in the ongoing controversy.
Amanda Seales Responds To Gilbert Arenas’ Comments
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 12: Amanda Seales (HBO Insecure) during her game show at The Apollo Theater on November 12, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Shahar Azran/Getty Images)
Gilbert Arenas said of Amanda Seales not being married, “As educated as she is, there’s a standard of a man that she’s looking for. If they’re not on the same education level as her, she’s gonna look down on [him].” he continued, “If they’re more educated than her, then they’re talking down to her. So these are the type of women that will typically be single because they can’t find the equal partner to who they are.” Arenas’s dating analysis was interesting, but ultimately, it was just his personal opinion and not a larger commentary on the psychology of dating and marriage.
Amanda Seales responded to the comments on social media, saying, “Why is Gilbert Arenas even talking about me? I’m too smart to find a good man? That’s not even a thing. That’s an unfortunate statement to make.” She concluded, “I don’t even know what that’s trying to say about men. And the truth is I’m not trying to find a good man. A good man will find me. I’m talking to somebody right now.” Seales is used to being criticized because of her strong will and personality. Overall, Seales’ interview on Club Shay Shay seems to have been a confidence booster to the comedian and actor as she responds to all the naysayers.
It’s been almost three years since HBO’s Insecure finished airing, and the critically acclaimed show continues spawning new fans. It is often named among the best comedy drama shows of the last decade, and rightly so. Its characters, and the actors who portrayed them, are also greatly loved by fans. However, it seems the chemistry and friendship some characters shared in the show does not exist in real life. For example, it’s been just about confirmed that Issa Rae and Amanda Seales are not the biggest fans of each other. Seales recently appeared in another viral episode of Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay. There, she spoke extensively about her and Issa’s failed friendship.
Amanda Seales Addresses Feud Rumors On Club Shay Shay
On April 24, 2024, an episode of Club Shay Shay featuring Amanda Seales premiered on YouTube. In the interview, the actress spoke about several interesting topics. However, the subject getting the most attention is what happened between Issa Rae and Amanda Seales. The two were co-stars on Insecure and were friendly a few years ago. Surprisingly, however, over the years, their relationship soured as they worked together on the set of the hit show. Many fans have noticed a distance between the two for some time, but it has been all speculation until now.
What Happened Between Amanda Seales & Issa Rae?
INGLEWOOD, CA – JULY 15: (L-R) Amanda Seales, Yvonne Orji, executive producer and star Issa Rae, Jay Ellis and Natasha Rothwell attend a block party celebrating HBO’s new season of “Insecure” on July 15, 2017 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Randy Shropshire/Getty Images for HBO)
According to Amanda Seales, the rift between her and Issa Rae was first made apparent in 2019. She narrated to Shannon Sharpe how Vanessa Anderson, Rae’s publicist, barred her from entering into an Emmys party for Black actors in 2019. Subsequently, two days later, the Insecure creator reached out to Seales. However, she allegedly only claimed not to have anything to do with what happened and asked if Seales was willing to talk to Anderson.
“I’ve never talked about this publicly because it’s always been incredibly important to me to protect Issa,” Seales said. “However, there’s just been enough instances at this point where I should have been protected by Issa, and I wasn’t,” she continued. According to Seales, being so protective of Issa Rae was becoming detrimental to her. “There’s a whole narrative that is completely false that people keep spinning. They keep saying, you know, that I’m this mean girl on this set, that I harmed these people on this set. I just want to point out something very basic. How can I be a mean girl on a set that ain’t my set? How? It’s your show. You are my boss. I don’t even have the capacity to be the mean girl here because you can fire me,” she continued.
Unfortunately, the tension between the two actors only grew from that point onwards. Their relationship did not improve. Instead, it deteriorated to the point where other castmates could tell things weren’t great between them. “Everybody knows what’s going on. They don’t say nothing to me. And that’s just f*cking mean. It’s mean,” Seales said. Speaking further on the topic, she shared, “By the end of the show, you know, there were just certain scenarios where I had to really always be the bigger person and be the balm to the situation. And in Season 5, she just came out of her face at me one time too many and I just chose to stop being the balm because the show was wrapping.” When Sharpe asked Seales what she did, Seales replied, “Nothing, I just stopped communicating.”
Afterward, Sharpe mentioned that many people consider Issa Rae to be very empowering to women, but Amanda Seales disagreed. “She wasn’t empowering to me. [Issa] didn’t feel like I was needed. She didn’t feel like I deserved to be protected,” Seales said. “I’m only giving a portion of the situation. But that was my experience. And nonetheless, I have still always protected her because I felt like it was my responsibility to do so. But it is not.”
Issa Rae has not commented on Seales’s allegations at this time. However, fans are anticipating her reaction if it ever arrives.
Actress, comedian, and TV personality Amanda Seales joined Shannon Sharpe on Club Shay Shay for an extensive three-hour discussion. During the conversation, Seales delved into quite a bit of detail about her life and career thus far. There were more than a couple of bombshells revealed during the discussion that have since gone viral. In true Amanda fashion, there were also important conversations about racism, bias, and mental health. In fact, social media has been pretty united in claiming that perhaps Sharpe was not the best interviewer for someone like Seales. Nonetheless, here are some of the biggest takeaways from Amanda Seales’ appearance on Club Shay Shay.
During her time on Club Shay Shay, Amanda Seales addressed her rumored conflict with Issa Rae. Despite speculation that their issues originated during their time on Insecure, Seales clarified that it was Rae’s publicist who initially had an issue with her. However, Seales believes this snowballed into Rae failing to protect her. Reflecting on their rumored conflict during the series’ production, she said, “So, 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. And it’s not something I desire to do… She wasn’t empowering to me. She didn’t feel like I deserved to be protected. But that was my experience. And nonetheless, I have still always protected her because I felt like it was my responsibility to do so. But it is not.”
Her Autism Diagnosis
In the three-hour interview with the retired athlete-turned-podcaster, Amanda Seales disclosed that she is on the autism spectrum. She described her current state as one of evolution, acknowledging that she has been receiving a mix of new information and criticism simultaneously. She stated: “I was recently diagnosed as someone who has autism spectrum disorder which is very difficult to identify in Black women because of racism. What it typically means is that your brain functions in a different way, so you’re neurodivergent. When you take the test, you’re like ‘Hold up! I’ve been thinking my whole life that this was a problem.’ The fact that I have to be doing things all of the time to be stimulated. It’s literally called stimming. These are small things that are indicative of how your brain functions in a very particular way. It’s also atypical to the way our society functions.”
This particular discussion has since garnered criticism. During the show, Sharpe questioned Seales on whether she had received a professional autism diagnosis, to which she responded, “Yes. There is a clinical diagnosis for autism.” This statement, which has been translated to Seales, in fact, not receiving a clinical diagnosis, raised eyebrows. Nonetheless, she took to social media soon after to clarify that she had not been officially diagnosed by a doctor.
Amanda Seales has often been referred to as headstrong and direct. On the podcast, she explained the origins of her confident demeanor, tracing it back to her gymnastics and theater roots. Reflecting on her mindset, Seales revealed that she was heavily influenced by her coach, theater director, and mother, who pushed her rigorously and held high expectations for perfection. She also mentioned developing a strong sense of professionalism from a very young age. Recollecting those times, she stated, “That’s what I come from, people expecting you to be at your best when they’re not looking. That’s how I’ve always operated but you go through life and you realize that’s not how everybody operates.”
Experiencing Racism On Set
Some of the most viral moments from Amanda Seales’ time on Club Shay Shay revolved around the topic of racism. Sometime during their conversation, Seales discussed her experience as a former Disney child star. She recalled incidents where she was called slurs by her white peers on set. As the only Black girl present, Seales considered this behavior to be racist. When Shannon Sharpe questioned her experience by suggesting that kids are not accountable for such behavior due to their age, Seales emphasized that it was indeed a form of racism, regardless of the perpetrators’ age. Frustrated, she said: “So, you have no problem with the children that were cursing out Ruby Bridges? And the Little Rock Nine? Do you think that was just them being kids?”
Seeking Therapy
On Club Shay Shay, Amanda Seales admitted that she struggled to comprehend why some people didn’t like her. She then disclosed that she sought therapy to address this issue, and credited therapy with enhancing her awareness of how others perceive her thoughts. “I started going to therapy because I was like, people kept telling me that no one likes me, and I do not understand it,” she said. “At some point, I thought I wasn’t likable because I had low self-esteem… I present to people in a way that they deem masculine but it’s really just passion and if they really were smart, they would understand that the passion that I speak with is the passion that I f*ck with so I don’t understand why they can’t do that math.”
During the interview, Sharpe brought up the topic of certain Black people who prefer to be in white spaces. Grasping where the conversation was heading, Seales immediately brought up Candace Owens’ name. She spoke about how the Black community has been taught to be forgiving, but really should only forgive those who ask. “It’s not her fault,” she began. “It’s the spaces that let her back in. We can’t just look at Black people and say ‘Is this skin folk or kin folk?’ All of these Black media spaces that took her back in… all these Black media spaces that have just excoriated me for weeks, I look at them and say ‘You are simply Black by name, because you are white by commerce.”
Emmanuel Acho And Angel Reese
Shannon Sharpe also brought up college basketballer Angel Reese and sports analyst Emmanuel Acho. Acho had recently criticized Reese for presenting herself as a villain during her college basketball days but not sticking to that image when confronted with losses. Unhappy with the entire fiasco, Amanda Seales used this opportunity to call out Acho and dish out her own criticism in defense of Reese. “She is a young person,” she said. “Do you know how disgusting that is? And that cornball ass n*gga who loves to make himself look like he’s the white people savior. Emmanuel Acho. ‘Come talk to me, white people. I’m the black guy that’s nice.’ Cut it out. It’s ridiculous.”
