Jay Ellis is 40 years old and arguably best known as Lawrence on Insecure, and he’s also in Top Gun: Maverick. Ellis has been acting for years though, his IMDB is really long and it’s full of diverse work. I would consider him more of a character actor and there’s nothing wrong with that. Well, Ellis got married over the weekend. He’s been with Serbian actress Nina Senicar for five years, and they’ve been engaged since 2019. Their original wedding was postponed because of the pandemic, and then because of a death in their extended family. Oh, and they have a two-year-old daughter together.
Their wedding was in Tuscany, on Villa Mangiacane in San Casciano. They let Vogue photograph some of the wedding and pre-wedding festivities – you can see the Vogue piece here. The bride wore a custom Dolce & Gabbana (from the Alta Moda collection). To me, her gown is kind of basic? She has a great figure though, she elevates a kind of basic design. Her something borrowed was a pair of diamond earrings from her best friend. Her grandmother’s ring was her “something old.” Jay wore a Dolce & Gabbana tuxedo as well. Their wedding guests were asked to wear earth tones for the ceremony, which probably looked gorgeous against the Tuscan backdrop.
Anyway, Jay Ellis is currently trending on social media because A) everyone likes looking at wedding photos, B) he married a white woman and C) he knew he was going to get sh-t about it so he posted the photos on Instagram and turned off the comments. I’m not going to speak to the fact that he married a white lady, but I do think people should talk about the fact that Jay and Nina have been together five years and they literally have a child together! Come on, they’re for real.
Instagrams courtesy of Jay Ellis, Vogue and David Bastianoni.
A lot of people take issue with this because there are a fair amount of Black men who will denigrate Black women just to put white women on a pedestal. For men like that white women are seen as the ultimate prize. I’m not saying Jay Ellis is like that, I’ve never heard him saying anything disrespectful about Black women just giving context to explain why some folks have a problem with it. I personally think they look great together and they seem happy. Signed Black woman married to a white man
This right here. Thanks for saying it so I don’t have to. 🙂
Why are people creating issues with this? Jay Ellis married the person he loves. I know it’s hard for people to just let black people love without it becoming a social and political issue, the personal is always political. I’ve dealt with this every day of my marriage, Signed a Black woman married to a white man. Sometimes, love is just love.
Nailed it. As a black woman, I don’t care about other black men’s dating preferences, it’s only concerning if they also regularly engage in disparaging black women on social media platforms.
Yes, I can’t stand men who are like that, but Jay Ellis has never (from what I know) said a word negative about black women, so I really don’t know why people are giving him a hard time. He’s stayed in his lane and minded his business all this time. I even saw Issa Rae’s head in the crowd of guests. There’s no problem here. I can think of plentyyyyy of problematic black men who deserve a nice dragging, but nothing to see here, let this man and his family live.
This is true, but they need to take it up with THOSE men, not the ones just minding their business. Don’t project thoughts and feelings onto someone just because someone else has expressed racist / colorist sentiments.
Jay feeling the need to turn off the comments on his wedding pictures because he knew ugliness would ensue is sad.
THIS!!
Yup! All of this. I get why people are feeling a certain way but that has nothing to do with Jay.
Congrats to the beautiful couple!
Sure but the moment to bring that up is not in the comments of someone’s wedding pictures on Instagram. Interracial relationships already deal with so much adversity, they don’t need the peanut gallery to weigh in on what’s supposed to be one of the happiest day of their lives.
True, but let’s not get this issue twisted. There will be plenty of nasty comments from those in the white community who do not like interracial pairings as well…just for a different reason. It’s not just some black women who will have a problem with this. I remember a fiend of my husband always complained about the unpleasant looks he got from black women when he was out and about with his white wife. But his complaining about the looks stopped after he went to a NASCAR event and a white man actually kicked him in his head for being there with his white wife. He didn’t even file charges…just let it go after he left the hospital.
Yep, some non-Black people may not understand why Black people (BW specifically) respond this way to a marriage between a Black man & a white woman, but we’ve had to deal with Black men putting us down numerous times. Now, I’m one to just mind my own business especially as my own grandfather was remarried to a white woman (my Nana) so I never see an issue. I think many Black people do need to mind their own & stop causing a fuss over who another chooses to date/marry.
Those shoes! They should have close up photos of their shoes framed. His burgundy boots are the coolest thing I’ll see all day.
And I love her dress. I am a fan of simple, beautiful material made into a flattering shape. It’s never going to look dated or “so 2022.”
Beautiful couple.
I actually really appreciate a simple wedding gown without lace, beading etc. like you just focus on the minimalism of the dress and the bride’s face. This one is not bad! The slit seems a bit excessive though.
As for this couple: it is sad to me that you just can’t marry whomever without people commenting on the race of your spouse. Like Serena Williams marrying Alexis Ohanian…or M&H…the way people have reacted to their marriages based on race never ceases to amaze me.
The reaction to black women marrying white men is rooted in misogynoir, not an objection to interracial relationships. Black men tell black women that we are undesirable and no one wants us therefore we must rely on them for love. When black women get the message that we are not wanted and go elsewhere, black men call black women a term I will not repeat here. I’ll just say that it is the term used to describe black women who were raped on plantations by slave masters and leave it at that. They belittle the most accomplished black women for marrying outside our race but celebrate the rumor that Bill Gates’ daughter might be dating a black man.
The fact of the matter is that, based on the what black women have been seeing and hearing for generations, black men who marry non-black women and women who are unambiguously black, it is because they want proximity to whiteness. Any black woman can tell you that that’s what they tell us and the world. They tell everyone who will listen that we are ugly, non feminine, not submissive (disgusting), have an attitude, can’t raise children, etc. Black women wouldn’t have these responses if these relationships weren’t so rooted in the hatred of black women. Also, they recruit these women they date into bashing black women and thinking they are better than us. You see non-black women doing this all the h time. It really does seem that their relationships could very well be more a product of hatred of black women and blackness more than it is about the two people.
I say all of this to say that for people who are speaking about how “sad” this is and inappropriately comparing this to when black women marry outside our race, you should probably not get into this discussion unless you know the dynamics and history. I’m not saying people shouldn’t wish them well, I’m just saying that a lot of the presumptions being made here are ignorant of how this plays out in the lives of black women. It is incredibly damaging across multiple fronts from low self-esteem to a willingness to accept DV because you’ve been told all your life you are unworthy of love and unloveable. It’s best that you listen to us rather than cape up for black men.
I hope this doesn’t get me banned.
Thank you NYC212!
Thanks.
SAY THAT! I grew up in a small, white town in the Midwest. There were a handful of Blacks and POC. I was ridiculed for my looks by both white boys and Black ones, and I grew up thinking no one would ever love me because I was ugly, talk too much, am not “soft” enough—as if generations of Black women haven’t HAD to be “hard” in order to support their families while Black men are imprisoned, killed, or marrying out.
I am lucky that the first man who ever showed me romantic attention was a really great guy and helped me re-learn my worth. I’m married to him for nearly 15 years now. And for as much as (many) Black men like to complain about Black women, they hate to see us with a white man. The first time my spouse and I went to the mall, guess whose heads were on a swivel, all puffed up like they mad? Black men—most of whom were at the mall with their white girlfriends. Ugh.
As for the happy couple, congratulations to them. I can be happy for them on an individual level, while still acknowledging the societal ramifications for the Black community.
Edit: I forgot to say that after I introduced my now husband to my father, he told me he wasn’t sending me to college to indulge some white boy’s Master/slave fantasy. My own father said that to me.
NYC212 every now and again a comment here is so profound that I have to read it two or three times. I just did that with your comment. Thank you.
People on SM are so deranged that I don’t blame them for turning off the comments. Remember Paula Patton and the ridiculousness over her frying chicken? So this couple just posted their pretty wedding pictures and left it at that. They don’t need to hear from a bunch of randoms on the internet.
But you have to admit, Paula Patton was out of her mind cooking chicken like that.
Ok this isn’t compared to the monstrosity of Paula Patton’s chicken lmao This is more so comparable to any Black celeb who chooses to marry a non-Black person despite the very public knowledge of their relationship.
The wedding dress is classic and the Instagram shows a long train and veil which is beautiful in motion. Apparently he turned off Twitter too because people were coming at him. Love is love and I feel bad for them to have haters.
I wonder if some of the backlash could be because Serbians are a rare European country that’s pro Russia and he’s afraid people might make a big issue out of that
In any case I wish them all the best
Doubt it. Jay has been getting ish for being with a white woman since it’s been know they were a couple.
Disabling comments was a smart move.Hopefully both sides will leave them the hell alone in person and they can enjoy this happy occassion.
He’s such a handsome dude. Love his tux.
They look beautiful together. Where’s the child, though? I’d like to see photos of the baby at the wedding.
if you click the link, there are two pictures of their daughter, number 27 and 40. Maybe more, but these ones i noticed
My only issue with them is dolce and gabbana. Why do people insist on wearing their designs? they proved their awfulness again and again, then the clueless celebrities keep providing them with credibility.
I don’t get why Dolce & Gabbana is getting a pass for their past comments and behavior. I’m seeing so many celebrities wear and promote them again. Gross.
The wedding looks so beautiful.
What a gorgeous wedding and couple. His tux and boots are amazing!! And their daughter looks so cute. Looks like a great time!
I stumble on their photos in twitter and the people who are commenting about him was because his wife foundation transfer to his face because of them kissing.
And they were making fun of that in a nice and joking way. Didnt scroll more on it because i taught that was cute and funny.
Maybe i had block all the toxic subject and people.
Congratulations to Jay and Nina. It is definitely celebrity wedding season and I’m loving it! I read an interview a few years ago that his partner was white and they have a child together. They’re happy, love each other and have a family together. A lot of people don’t like Lawrence from Insecure so now they’ll be doubly mad and ridiculous about his private life. He looks good. The dress is not my taste but is very pretty, looks very well suited to the outdoor setting. D&G make gorgeous clothes but they are such terrible people.
White women have always been shamed and degraded for marrying black men. My best friend married a black man back in the late seventies and she suffered a ton of backlash for it over the years. Funny how the tables have turned to bashing black men for not marrying black women. Love is love, and it’s a shame that certain people have to turn it into something ugly.
You’re so out of your depth here it’s insulting. You have no clue what you’re talking about
I’m talking about personal experience and nothing I’ve said is insulting, otherwise it would have been deleted. In case you have selective memory issues, Chris Rock did an extremely offensive documentary in 2009 called Good Hair. I’d advise you to read up on it.
Have you lost your mind? Do you honestly think I need a Black woman needs you to whitesplain misogynoir to me? Again you have no idea what you’re talking about. You don’t have the experience necessary to understand or appreciate the cultural nuance here
That is whitewomensplaining to you.
This is why what you said is insulting. If White women have been shamed and degraded for marrying Black men it was primarily by white people. Historically, in the USA, Black men were c@strated, m_tilated, l*nched, burned, etc for daring to look at white women. Thus they learned to not even look at them. In 1955 14 year old Emmitt Till was kidnapped, l_nched and his body m_tilated because a white woman said he whistled at her. She recently admitted what every Black person knew- she lied about him.
Until recently, miscegenation was illegal (sometimes punishable by death, esp in the south and only for Black men), greatly assisted by the one drop rule;
Until Loving v. Virginia in 1967, interracial marriages were illegal and also sometimes punishable by death for Black men
While Black men marrying white women was somewhat tolerated and eventually became more acceptable, Black women marrying white men was very rare and is still largely frowned upon, esp by Black men. Its still not as widely accepted as Black men (especially rich ones) marrying white women but its wonderful that that’s now changing as well.
Amen.
Beautiful couple, beautiful location, beautiful gown, maroon tux????
They are a beautiful couple, and the wedding venue looks lovely.
It’s just sad and ridiculous that in 2022, folks take issue with interracial marriage….MIND YOUR BUSINESS.
I see some people above commenting about what could be the motivation for disabling the comments (black women resenting a black man marrying a white woman), and it’s interesting to me, because I thought it might be the other way around – I live in the Balkans and racism can be pretty bad, so I automatically thought he blocked them before the Serbs could lament the marriage of a white Serbian woman to a black man (I’ve seen a couple of posts on this topic).
I guess it could be both plus more.
They look lovely together, tho.
Yes this was my thought also. I’ve shared here in past, Eastern Europe very different from West – in West they are of course also racist, but in East it is socially accepted to say loud what in West is whisper. When I lived in Russia my friend who is American-Chinese came to visit in my city, I was relief she does not understand Russian because of vile thing people saying to me about her, just while we walk down street etc.
Afro Latina here and I am super happy for Jay Ellis and his beautiful bride,and his beautiful kids. I wish them lots of blessings and happiness in their marriage. I am also happy that he is showing her off on his SM and I hope he doesn’t care anymore what ppl think about his wife and their union…Go where you are happy and celebrated whoever the person is:we have only one life
amazing comments happening here re: why not comments on insta.
also their venue is truly one of the most impressive places I’ve ever been in my life. Villa Mangiacane is rumored to have been designed by Michelangelo and was renovated in the early 2000s by a wealthy dude from Zimbabwe. he hosted spectacular parties there back in the day. it’s now a very expensive hotel and I’m so jealous they got married there! mazel tov
Gorgeous looking wedding but shallowly, I think the cut of his pants could have been a little better. Something about where his jacket hits and the straight leg of the pants is a bit off.