As Issa Dee once said, “Wasn’t expecting that, huh?”
Following the season five premiere of Insecure on Sunday, Oct. 24, the HBO comedy is facing criticism from Alpha Kappa Alpha for using colors and crests associated with the sorority. Specifically, the episode featured Issa (played by co-creator Issa Rae)—her friends Molly (Yvonne Orji), Kelli (Natasha Rothwell) and Tiffany (Amanda Seales)—returning to alma mater Stanford University for a reunion.
In the episode, Tiffany wore the signature pink and green colors, as well as the letters, of Alpha Kappa Alpha—implying that the character was a member of this sorority. This seemed to upset real-life members of the sorority (and others), with one viewer writing, “No Amanda Seales don’t have my letters on… wardrobe has gone too far.”
Another commented, “Amanda Seales is an AKA right??”
After similar tweets sparked questions about Seales’ connection to Alpha Kappa Alpha, the actress eventually took to her Instagram Story and clarified: “Tiffany is a character on a TV show. I didn’t write the character, I play the character. I’m not a soror. I’m an actress and I’m playing a character on a TV show.”
She further noted in a different social media post, “When I am Tiffany, I do wear the letters with pride and regard and respect for those who crossed the burning sands.”