“Insecure” actor Jay Ellis is one of the most liked and hated TV stars of today. The respected actor portrays Lawrence on the hit HBO series, which fans often criticize.
Not to mention fans go back and forth about his relationship with Issa Rae‘s character, Issa Dee. Even so, male fans of the show support Ellis’ character with a loyal fan base known as #LawrenceHive on Twitter.
On Monday, Dec. 20, journalist Jemele Hill shared a throwback clip from the “Jemele Hill Is Unbothered” podcast, where Ellis explained being publicly slapped by an “Insecure” fan in the airport.
“Yea I got slapped in JFK,” admitted Ellis, which completely shocked Hill, who yelled, “Oh my gosh!”
The 39-year-old apparently had no idea who the woman was and seemed surprised that anyone would do such a thing so recklessly.
“She literally slapped me and went ‘Oh my God, Oh my God. I’m so sorry. I’m just so pissed at you, Lawrence,” said Ellis. “She was like, ‘And you’d think I know better because I’m a writer.’”
He said he was even more shocked when the woman asked to interview him for a story immediately afterward.
“She was like, ‘You think I could do an interview with you at some point?’ And I was like, ‘Why don’t you hit me when I get back in the country and we’ll figure it out,’” Ellis laughed.
The former actor said he never heard back from the woman, but he welcomes the opportunity to expose her.
He concluded, “I actually would have done the interview just to call her out.”
As Ellis’ slapping clip made its way around social media, fans in the comments jumped to Ellis’ defense.
One person said, “I don’t care how good an actor portrays a character. I would never stupidly have a reaction like this to an ACTOR!” Another said, “Folks are crazy.”
Most questioned why Ellis didn’t “press charges” or have the woman “arrested” for assaulting him.
“I would have had her crazy ass arrested! It’s just entertainment lady!” wrote a third person.
Another said, “Some folks can’t separate TV from real life! Now had his reflexes kicked in, and he hit back? She would be screaming lawsuits, emotional distress, want to ruin his whole life!”
Meanwhile, others questioned why Ellis’ character was under scrutiny when Issa was the one who cheated on Lawrence in season 1. That act led to the demise of Issa and Lawrence’s relationship.
“Bruh, why would anyone be mad at his character?! ,ISSA CHEATED AND HE GETS HATED ON?! DOUBLE STANDARD LADIES!” wrote one user.
“Insecure” fans have endured Issa and Lawrence’s love-hate relationship for five seasons. The award-winning series will officially end with Issa deciding whether to continue her relationship with Nathan, played by Kendrick Sampson, or rekindle things with Lawrence.
The “Insecure” series finale airs Sunday, Dec. 26, at 10 p.m.
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