‘Insecure’ Star Jay Ellis Thinks Lawrence Getting Back Together With Issa Is A Big Mistake

Jay Ellis, who plays Lawrence Walker on HBO‘s Insecure, says his character made a huge backslide by reaching out to his ex.

Lawrence dated Issa Rae’s character, Issa Dee, for five years prior to her cheating on him in Season 1. In the show’s current fourth season, he has moved on with Condola (Christina Elmore), for whom he was becoming a better version of himself. However, the couple soon dealt with Condola and Issa working together for the latter’s upcoming block party.

While Lawrence and Condola have continued dating despite the friendship, things got rocky during their “Friendsgiving” dinner. During the episode, which premiered on Sunday, the pair was at a standstill after she questioned him about his past with Issa. Condola’s friend, Nikki (Robin Thede), also drunkenly informed Lawrence that Condola — who’s a recent divorcee — wants more of a casual relationship.

Once he left the dinner, Lawrence watched Issa and her brother enjoy their Thanksgiving at a Mexican restaurant via Instagram. Instead of scrolling past her stories, he snuck into his ex’s direct messages, per Essence. He left a slew of smiling-face emoji in reply to her night out. The scene closed with Issa abruptly replying to Lawrence’s reaction, with Mya’s 2000s hit, “Case of the Ex,” playing in the background.

Ellis recently sat down with Essence via Facebook and shared how he feels about the message he sent to Issa. He said Lawrence reaching out to his ex after fighting with his new girlfriend is “one of the worst decisions ever.” Additionally, he explained the situation with Issa is too “messy” for them to have a friendly relationship as of yet. The actor then said he wouldn’t like to see Lawrence and Issa together, and wants him to think about his current feelings for her.

“What I would wanna know from Lawrence is the answer to Condola’s question, ‘Like do you think you guys would’ve been together had she not cheated?'” Ellis asked. “I know she supported him while he wasn’t working, but they would’ve fallen back into a routine of complacency and I think that would’ve run its course at some point. We would’ve just watched two people slowly drift apart.”

Insecure‘s fourth season premiered on Sunday, April 12. Prior to its return, Rae said her character would experience growth within herself. The first three episodes of the season have already proven to test Issa’s growth, especially with her old friends. Episode 3 also touched on her ailing friendship with her BFF Molly (Yvonne Orji). Following an explosive fight in the middle of a grocery store, the friends vowed to meet at Molly’s house to talk. However, Issa decided to ditch Molly, leaving their issues unresolved.