Samira Wiley Is Engaged to Orange Is the New Black Writer Lauren Morelli

Couple began dating in 2014

By Rebecca Macatee Oct 04, 2016 5:34 PMTags

What a year it's been for Samira Wiley!

The Orange Is the New Black star is engaged to Lauren Morelli, a writer and producer on the Netflix series. Wiley, whose OITNB character Poussey Washington had a major story arc this past season, shared the happy news Tuesday when she Instagrammed a sweet selfie with her fiancée and a stunning diamond ring. She captioned the joyful shot, simply, "Yes."

The couple began dating in 2014 following Lauren's amicable split and divorce from Steve Basilone, her husband of two years. The OITNB writer-producer came out as gay in a touching Identities.Mic essay published in May 2014. "I realized I was gay in fall 2012," she wrote, "one of my first days on the [OITNB] set."

photos
Truly Unique Celebrity Engagement Rings

"It wasn't so much one thing, but the sum of many small details: how uncomfortable I felt around groups of lesbians or how I considered myself (shrug) a 'not very sexual person,'" explained Lauren, who'd only been married a few months at the time. "When considered alone, these seemed like little quirks that made me me. Wanting to read a book instead of have sex is a perfectly reasonable preference to have, right? But on set, these small moments came into sharp relief, and I found myself answering to an endless stream of cast members who peppered me with questions like a gaggle of kindergarteners curious about their new teacher. 'Are you dating anyone?' 'You're married?' 'To a man?' 'But you used to kiss girls?' 'Do you miss it?' I was finally forced to consider a question that had never, ever occurred to me before: 'Holy s--t, am I gay?'"

Once Lauren realized her truth, she came out to her family, friends and co-workers. As she wrote in her 2014 Identities.Mic essay, "I went through it all on set: I fell in love with a woman, and I watched my life play out on screen...It feels liberating and appropriate to live my life in front of you."

We wish Lauren and Samira all the best!