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Hollywood executives are infamous for pushing dark-skinned actresses to the side in favor of their lighter-skinned counterparts and apparently, being the executive producer on a project does not spare one from being slighted. In her 2015 memoir, The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl, and in a few interviews, Issa Rae mentioned that a television executive did not want her to star in the TV version of “The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl” and instead, suggested that Lauren London take the leading role.
Obviously, that would have been a problem. For one, the actresses look nothing alike, and two, Issa is Awkward Black Girl. For an executive to attempt to write her out of her own narrative is deeply problematic. Interestingly, Issa recently revealed in an interview with Vanity Fair that Lauren did not appreciate being name-dropped in that way and it resulted in some tension between the two actresses. The late Nipsey Hussle helped Issa and Lauren eventually smooth things over prior to his passing in March 2019. Diddy’s birthday celebration, which was attended by Nipsey and both the actresses, provided the perfect opportunity to make amends, so the “Hussle & Motivate” facilitated the sit-down.
“He was like, ‘You should just talk to her. Let me set it up,’ ” she says. “It actually sparked an amazing two-hour conversation. We had so much in common. She was like, ‘People don’t understand, I’m an awkward Black girl.’ In the same way that I was upset about the limited portrayal of Black women, she was like, ‘People do the same thing to me.’ I completely get that.”
In hindsight, Issa says that she regrets mentioning Lauren at all.
“One of my biggest regrets, naming her,” she said. “She took offense to that.”
While we had absolutely no idea that Issa and Lauren even had an issue with one another, we’re glad to hear that they were able to mend their relationship.
