Photo: YouTube
They're starring in a new film together!
By Bernadette Giacomazzo — Written on Feb 16, 2020
The Photograph is out now, and it's a true love story in time for Valentine's Day. It shows Black love, on full display, and it promises to be a true success in the theaters' thanks in no small part to the talents and beauty of its two leads, Issa Rae and Lakeith Stanfield.
Unfortunately, a recent appearance on The View has sparked rumors of a rift between the two leads. Could it be that they really dislike each other?
Why are Issa Rae and Lakeith Stanfield feuding, if they're feuding at all? Let's look at what we know about these rumors — and if, indeed, there's any validity to them at all.
1. Why are Issa Rae and Lakeith Stanfield feuding? The rumors started after they appeared on The View.
In their recent appearance on the hit ABC talk show The View, which you can see above, Issa Rae and Lakeith Stanfield took the time to talk to the ladies about the importance of depicting Black love stories on the big screen. They also had a bit of banter about who should make the first move in the game of love — but more than a few people, especially in the comments section of the video, noted that the duo seemed less-than-thrilled to be there. Was it that they didn't want to be on The View — or that they didn't want to be around each other?
2. "That kind of happened in the movie."
At one point during The View interview, one of the hosts remarked that Rae and Stanfield would make "a cute couple" in real life. The actors seemed visibly uncomfortable, and Stanfield remarked, "I mean, that kind of happened in the movie, you know?" Their tension about the comment could also stem from the fact that Rae is already engaged to her longtime boyfriend, Louis Diame, who is a Senegalese businessman.
3. Their chemistry was undeniable in The Photograph.
Even though there's very little chance that Rae and Stanfield will take their on-screen romance off-screen, they pulled it off well for The Photograph. Critics are lauding the film's honest depiction of Black love, and are pleased that Rae and Stanfield did a wonderful job as actors.
4. Despite the rumors, Rae and Stanfield got along well during the film.
The Photograph producer Will Packer said that despite rumors of tensions on the set, Rae and Stanfield got along well during the film. "I've been wanting to do a love story for a while. I think that you look at it and...it's just a love story, but it happens to have black people in it and I love that because we never have enough of that, period," he said, before raving about Stanfield's acting, and saying that he was a "true artist." He also said it was "awesome" to work with Rae.
5. And the actors said that the chemistry was "authentic."
When speaking about The Photograph during an "intimate conversation," Stanfield and Rae both said that they had authentic acting chemistry in the film. They said that they appreciated the opportunity, as well, to tell an authentic love story ... even if the love story they were telling wasn't theirs.
6. Turns out they may not be feuding after all.
Despite their appearance on The View, it just may be a one-off thing between Rae and Stanfield, and they're not feuding after all. Who, amongst us, hasn't had a bad day once in a while, after all? Or, perhaps they were just off-put by the comment about their off-screen relationship, as it's disrespectful to Rae's longtime partner. Or perhaps they just don't like talk shows!
Regardless, we're sure things will blow over soon.
Bernadette Giacomazzo is an editor, writer, publicist, and photographer whose work has appeared in Teen Vogue, People, Us Weekly, The Source, XXL, HipHopDX, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, BET.com, and more.