For the second year running, Issa Rae threw a massive pre-Emmy yacht party–and the guest list was smoking hot, with Tracee Ellis Ross, Tiffany Haddish, Sujata Day, and Amanda Seales among the superstar revelers. And according to Rae, there were only three rules for the epic event known as #YachtShit.
“You’re coming to drink, and dance, and not fall off the boat. That’s the three things you have to do,” she told ELLE.com on the Emmys red carpet.
Last year the yacht-stravaganza was held to celebrate the season 2 premiere of Insecure, but this time it was all about the Emmy nominees.
“I did one last year because I was like, ‘I want to do that s**t with my friends,’” Rae said. “And I was like, 'Oh my god, I can do that!’ This year, it ended up being on Emmy weekend and I ended up being nominated, and I was like, “Oh my gosh, this is a celebration for everybody and their accomplishments.'”
Insecure, meanwhile, is almost at the end of its third season, with the onscreen Issa juggling new love interest Nathan and the re-emerged off-flame of Lawrence. So—which guy for the win?
“We have two episodes left,” Rae teased, "so those answers will come very soon.”
What she will say is that both male characters have elements of the truth about them. "Nathan’s very reminiscent [of her real life], but so is the Lawrence story,” she said. But it turns out we’re also about to see even more of the real Issa on the show—and she’s sorry-not-sorry about this.
“I think this episode coming up on Sunday is very, very ‘me,’ and I’m ashamed to say so, but not at all ashamed. I’ve been there!”
Nominated for the lead comedy actress Emmy this year, Rae rocked the red carpet wearing 3000 crystals that took 100 hours to sew onto her outfit. “So I’m rich,” she joked. But despite the glitz, Rae says she’s doing the “same awkward swagger” as always. “I feel like my swagger came from wearing pants,” the former "Awkward Black Girl" said. “It’s a jumpsuit thing so, as you know, I have to take the whole thing off, which is not great. I hope I don’t have to."
Well, we’ve definitely been there, too.
Antonia Blyth is a British writer based in LA, who writes about entertainment and celebrities. A journalism graduate of Goldsmith's College, London, she has written for Deadline, ELLE, The Guardian, and InStyle and has a New York Times bestselling book. She also appears on French TV as an entertainment expert.
