Jay Ellis Was Once Slapped By ‘Insecure’ Fan Over Something His Character Lawrence Did On Series

Jay Ellis

Jay Ellis Was Once Slapped By ‘Insecure’ Fan Over Something His Character Lawrence Did On Series

Jay Ellis’ fans appear to have a hard time separating the entertainer from his work.

Jay Ellis, 39, is a well-respected actor who is most known for portraying Lawrence on Issa Rae’s, 36, hit HBO series ‘Insecure.’ An interview that Jay Ellis previously did with Jemele Hill, 46, has recently resurfaced. During his chat with the famed journalist, Ellis shared that he was once slapped by an ‘Insecure’ fan for something his character did. He said,

“Yea, I got slapped in JFK [airport.] She reached back to literally – and pop!”

He continued,

“She slapped me and she was like ‘oh my God, oh my God, I’m so sorry. I’m just so pissed at you Lawrence.’ And she was like ‘and you would think I know better because I’m a writer.’”

Ellis also shared that the woman who slapped him asked if he would be willing to do an interview with him. He added,

“I was like ‘why don’t you hit me when I get back in the country and we’ll figure it out.’ I never heard from her [but] I actually would have done the interview just to call her out for slapping me.”

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The slap must have really left an impression on the ‘Escape Room’ actor. He also spoke about the incident again during an interview on ESSENCE’s Yes, Girl! podcast. He said,

“I had a journalist slap me and it wasn’t anyone that I had ever met before. I was at the airport. I walk up to the aisle and this woman is standing in front of me, and I’m like, ‘excuse me can I slide by you?’ She turns around, eyes get wide, and slap! Straight in the face, open hand. I had never had this happen before. It wasn’t a TV slap.”

He continued,

“It was like a full-on palm open slap. So, then she looked at me and was immediately like, ‘Oh, I’m so sorry.’ I watch the show and I’m a writer and I should know better, and my boyfriend he did this to me.’ It was really crazy.”

Ellis then shared that despite being hit by a random stranger, he did not press charges on the woman. He added,

“There tends to be a group of women who have been triggered by Lawrence’s behaviors. It’s really interesting. He really touched a nerve with men and women. I walked out of a movie theater once and a woman was literally across the street, and she was like, ‘F*ck you, Lawrence. F*ck you! You ain’t sh*t.’ But she’s also storming towards me and dodging traffic like a superhero…It was crazy.”

Jay Ellis

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