Issa Rae Says Her Comments Were 'Taken Out of Context' After She Was Accused of Being a Bad Friend

Issa Rae considers herself a good friend, although she believes she can make improvements.

People social media recently reacted negatively to an interview that Rae had on Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson's IMO podcast, where the actress explained that she isn't a "check-in every day" type of friend.

"I'm very much, 'When I'm here, it's all about you,'" the actress and entertainment mogul explained around the 35-minute mark of the video below. "But I don't check in as often as I should with friends. And I've been told that in the past, and I've adjusted."

Rae added that being consistently present isn't an "instinct" for her and added that she is "not a considerate friend" as much as she'd like to be.

Although the podcast crew was responding to a letter from a listener who was seeking friendship advice, some doubted that Rae is a good friend. But the former Insecure star had a chance to respond to the speculation during the 2025 Met Gala, where she had a quick chat with People reporter Nate Vinson.

"First of all, I have a great tribe. And I saw that clip circulating, it was taken out of context. We were talking about friendship letters," Rae began. "But yeah, I do realize that I'm not as giving as I want to be, and I have that conversation with my friends all the time."

She added that her friends are "understanding," and that her best friend, who's a Capricorn like Rae, is in some ways opposite from her and "so, so giving."

"But there's certain ways where I show up where she might need her cup filled," Rae continued. "So we complement each other. And they give me grace, which is all you can ask for."

Rae seems to have a huge "tribe" in her personal and professional life, including being friendly with fellow Insecure alum, although her former co-star Amanda Seales has spoken about her issues with Rae on set.