Issa Rae is very secure in her ability to shut things down.
Case in point? Earlier this year, social media users began speculating that the Insecure creator was pregnant after a video of her dancing alongside co-star Yvonne Orji went viral. (Some fans suggested there was a possible baby bump.) And in a since-deleted tweet shared in March, in response to the chatter, Issa wrote: "I am not pregnant, f--kyouverymuch. LET A BITCH EAT DRINK AND BE MERRY."
Now, months later, the 37-year-old is sharing the story behind setting the record straight.
"My sister sent me a screenshot of my mom texting her an article like, ‘Did she tell you ... Are the rumors true?'" Issa said in Today's digital cover story published July 19. "I was like, ‘What?!' [My sister] was like, ‘Not Mom believing in gossip!' I was like, ‘But she texted you and she didn't even ask me!'"
Issa added, "I'm like, ‘Mom, a pregnancy … you really think that I would hide a grandchild from you? That you've been begging for?!' So, I had to say something, because it was getting out of hand."
And for fans wondering if Issa—who married Louis Diame in an intimate ceremony last summer—will keep her family life private as she did her longterm relationship, only time will tell. "I'm not sure," she said. "Maybe if I have a child, I'll feel like, ‘Everybody needs to see this thing!' I don't know!"
However, one thing that fans do know is that we've been keeping up with any move that Issa makes—especially after the Insecure series finale aired last winter. As for what she did after saying goodbye to her HBO show?
"After the finale aired, I got on a plane," Issa said. "I did all the stuff that I didn't get a chance to do, like a honeymoon. I took all of January off and traveled and finally got a chance to just chill and think."
And after a whirlwind year, as Issa shared, she may have learned the most valuable lesson moving forward.
"Last year taught me that the balance needs to be planned in advance for me, because, otherwise, I would just work, work, work, work, work," she noted. "Even after Insecure, like a dummy, I did an episode of [Apple TV's] Roar."
She continued, "Then I flew to France and I was like, ‘Why did I need to do that? I could have taken that two weeks in between to chill and prepare and do all these things.' But I chose to do this episode. It was a great experience … but I know myself. I know how frustrated and/or tired I can get in some cases, and I'm not doing my best when I'm like that."
But before you shed some tears—Issa and her work will return to our TV screens very soon. Rap S--t, a new series Issa's producing, debuts on HBO Max July 21.
(Today and E! are part of the NBCUniversal family.)