Issa Rae on Why She Shut Down Pregnancy Rumors Earlier This Year: 'It Was Getting Out of Hand'

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Issa Rae is sharing why she spoke out against pregnancy rumors circulating about her earlier this year.

As the cover star for the first digital cover series for Today, Rae, 37, opened up about tweeting in response to pregnancy rumors about her back in March. "I am not pregnant, f—youverymuch," Rae wrote in a since-deleted tweet at the time. "Let a b— eat and be merry."

Now, Rae explains that she got fed up after her own family found themselves getting wrapped up in the rumors. "My sister sent me a screenshot of my mom texting her an article like, 'Did she tell you … Are the rumors true?' " she revealed.

"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!' " Rae explained. "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."

The comedian is known to be private about her personal life, only revealing she was in a relationship after marrying longtime boyfriend Louis Diame in the south of France in July 2021.

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When it comes to any future children, Rae says she doesn't know if she'll also keep that side of her life under wraps. "I'm not sure," she tells Today. "Maybe if I have a child, I'll feel like, 'Everybody needs to see this thing!' I don't know!"

Last September, Rae spoke about why she didn't feel quite ready to become a mom at this stage of her life.

"I'm extremely happy. I like my life, I like this selfishness, and I know that I have a window," Rae shared with Self, who recently married longtime beau Louis Diame. "I've always felt that way, that women, Black women especially — unless you're Viola Davis or Angela Bassett — you have a window when people are going to want to continue to see you and see what you can do."

"Then there are so many limitations placed upon you, and that does keep me up. I want to do as much as I can while I still can," she continued. "I know it's not the proper mentality to think that kids will slow you down, but I do feel that way."