Amanda Seales

Amanda Ingrid Seales (born July 1, 1981), formerly known by the stage names Amanda Diva and Mendacious D, is a Grenadian-American actress. From 2017 to 2021, she played a supporting role in the HBO comedy series Insecure. In 2019, HBO released her first stand-up comedy special, I Be Knowin. Then, in 2020, Seales launched Smart Funny & Black, a comedy gameshow that showcases Black culture, history, and experience. Seales was also one of the co-hosts of the syndicated daytime talk show, The Real. Seales is a frequent figure in online controversies.

Early life Amanda Ingrid Seales was born in Inglewood, California, on July 1, 1981. Her mother was born and raised in Mt. Moritz, Grenada. As a result, both she and her mother are dual citizens of the US and Grenada. Seales has publicly discussed that she was the product of her parents' brief sexual encounter while her mother was married but seeking separation. Her father is a Black American physician from Roxbury, Boston with whom Seales has had minimal contact throughout her life though she has appeared in at least one podcast episode with her half sister, his daughter.

Career Film and television Seales's first film was a minor role as Katy in the 1993 movie Cop and a Half. The next year Seales was featured on the Nickelodeon sitcom My Brother and Me (1994) as Deonne Wilburn. In 2002 she appeared on Russell Simmons' Def Poetry Jam. Seales became publicly known as "VJ Amanda Diva" on MTV2 Sucker Free Countdown on Sundays. In 2016 she appeared in a recurring role on the HBO series Insecure as Tiffany DuBois. Also in 2016, Seales began hosting her own show on truTV called Greatest Ever.

On January 26, 2019, HBO debuted her first stand-up comedy special I Be Knowin'. Bring the Funny is a comedy competition series that premiered on July 9, 2019, on NBC. Seales hosts, alongside judges Kenan Thompson, Chrissy Teigen, and Jeff Foxworthy.

Throughout 2019, Seales served as a frequent guest host for the syndicated daytime talk show The Real. On January 6, 2020, Seales was promoted from guest co-host to permanent co-host. She departed the series after six months of co-hosting. Seales insisted in multiple interviews that the departure was her choice and based on her personal principles, but producers did not renew her contract. In September 2020, Seales accused The Real of borrowing ideas from her show Smart Funny & Black, saying a segment titled "Black Lives Matter University" featured a logo that closely resembled Smart Funny & Black 's emblem.

In June 2020, Seales hosted the BET Awards 2020. In February 2022, Seales was cast in the three-part documentary series Everything's Gonna Be All White, airing on Showtime.

Other work

In 2007, Seales replaced Natalie Stewart of the musical duo Floetry on tour with Marsha Ambrosius, and in December of that same year Seales (as Amanda Diva) released her first extended play (EP) Life Experience. In 2008, she was featured on the song "Manwomanboogie" on Q-Tip's Grammy-nominated album The Renaissance. On March 3, 2009, Seales released Spandex, Rhymes & Soul.

Seales hosted a weekly podcast titled Small Doses. Seales's book, Small Doses: Potent Truths for Everyday Use, was released in 2019. The book is an extension of her podcast of the same name. It is a volume of essays, axioms, original illustrations, and photos from her trademark "self-help from the hip” style of commentary.

She created and hosted the touring variety game show Smart Funny & Black.. On April 18, 2022, Seales began co-hosting a new weekly radio show, Amanda Seales’ Smart Funny & Black Radio on SiriusXM, alongside Taj Rani and JeremiahLikeTheBible, featuring topics such as games, celebrity interviews and African-American culture.

Advocacy and public positions Seales has frequently spoken on social issues. In 2019, Seales generated false accusations that former NFL player and neurosurgeon resident Myron Rolle had sexually harassed several women, which Rolle denied. National media outlets reported that her statements had the potential to damage Rolle's career and reputation. Myron Rolle has stated "I did not return their (Seales') advances or wish to engage in a relationship as they may have wanted." Seales had never met Rolle in person and the extent of the interactions between the two was a phone call. Seales never issued a public apology for her actions. She initially supported Texas death-row inmate Rodney Reed but later rescinded her support after further information surfaced about his case. In 2020 she defended actor Jussie Smollett on The Real after his arrest, calling the alleged hoax "low-key noble" as a means to raise awareness; Smollett was later convicted of filing false police reports. In 2021, members of Alpha Kappa Alpha objected to her Insecure character wearing the sorority’s insignia; Seales responded that she was playing a character and not personally representing the organization. During the Gaza war, she has been outspoken in support of Palestine, noting she lost industry relationships over her stance.

Personal life During an interview on the podcast Club Shay Shay, Seales confirmed that she previously dated Pusha T, although the relationship by all accounts was brief and casual. She highlighted the quality of the rappers she has been involved with, stating, "As you can see, the rappers that I have dated are very great MCs, because I have high quality." No further details about the duration or nature of the relationship have been publicly disclosed by either party.

In the same Club Shay Shay interview, Seales also implied a past affiliation with Lupe Fiasco because she referenced texts between the two during her early radio years. This claim has been a topic of discussion on online forums, with some pointing to a possible reference to Seales in Lupe Fiasco's music. More than ten minutes into the outro of his album Food & Liquor, Lupe Fiasco gives a shout-out to "Amanda Diva," among hundreds of shouted-out names, which some have speculated refers to Seales. However, Fiasco was in a longterm relationship at the time and seales has a pattern (documented within her social media presence and numerous interviews) of misrepresenting her relationships to men and overstating casual dating and friendships. Seales has not commented on the specific nature of this shout-out, but her public statement infers that the two once knew each other.

Seales controversially described herself as autistic during an interview on Club Shay Shay. She received wide backlash from online neurodivergent communities for what many saw as an inappropriate, insensitive, and blatant mischaracterization of autism as a combative personality flaw that Seales used to explain away her countless interpersonal conflicts. She later clarified that she is self-diagnosed and has not been diagnosed by a licensed medical professional, and further fabricated a prohibitive "$10,000" diagnostic cost keeping her from medical assessment (she provided no evidence that a screening costs $10,000 and the actual cost ranges from $0 with insurance to $500 out of pocket). Self-diagnoses is widely debunked by medical professionals as harmful and dangerous, and is not a recognized nor recommended form of clinical assessment in any licensed diagnostic practices. Seales has, on numerous occasions, publicly referenced her ongoing challenges with mental health including what she frequently describes as "nervous breakdowns," though she has never revealed specific therapies or mental health diagnoses she has received. Numerous content creators and online communities continue to speculate and express concern about the state of her mental health and increased and prolonged social isolation. In August 2026 Seales stated publicly that she was estranged from her mother.

Pledge In September 2025, she signed an open pledge with Film Workers for Palestine pledging not to work with Israeli film institutions "that are implicated in genocide and apartheid against the Palestinian people."

Format: Digital download

Released: March 3, 2009

Format: Digital download

Released: April 27, 2011

Format: Digital download

Mixtapes + List of mixtapes, with selected details and year released Title Album detailsForeplay Released: June 6, 2008

Format: Digital downloadTechnicolor Lover Released: May 29, 2012

Format: Digital download

Guest appearances + List of non-single guest appearances, with other performing artists, showing year released and album name Title Year Album Artist(s) "Manwomanboogie" 2008 The Renaissance Q-Tip "Get Right" 2010 Rebel Without Applause Johnny Polygon "Blvd Broad" Catch-Up "Beautiful Things"LIFEKenichiro Nishihara "Proud 2 Be" 2012 Crack on Steroids N.O.R.E., M-1

Music videos + List of music videos, showing year released and director Title Year Director(s) "Neon"(featuring Johnny Polygon) 2009 Lyn-don McCray

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1993 Cop and a Half Katy 2006 Freedomland Angry Female Tenant 2011 Identical Poet #2 2016 Ladies Book Club Helena TV movie 2018 The Story of Our Times Shancy TV movie

Television Year Title Role Notes 1994–95 My Brother and Me Deonne Wilburn Recurring cast 2002–05 Def Poetry Jam Herself Episode: "Episode #2.5" & "#5.8" 2010 Undateable Herself Main guest 2011 Independent Lens Herself Episode: "Deaf Jam" 2012 MTV's Hip Hop POV Herself/Co-Host Main co-host Made Herself/Made Coach Episode: "Professional Actress: Rita" 2013 Big Evening Buzz Herself/Panelist Episode: "Dido" Master of the Mix Herself/Host Main host: Season 3 Big Morning Buzz Live Herself/Panelist Recurring panelist 2015 The View Herself/Guest Co-Host Episode: "Episode #18.85" 2015–17 Get Your Life Herself Main cast 2016 Comedy Knockout Herself Episode: "That Ass, Tho" 2016–17 Greatest Ever Herself/Host Main host 2016–21 Insecure Tiffany DuBois Recurring cast 2017 Hood Adjacent with James Davis Herself Episode: "Black Twitter" @midnight Herself Episode: "Episode #4.42" & "#4.136" Gay of Thrones Herself Episode: "The Sores of Whores" 2017–20 The Real Herself/Co-Host Guest co-host: Season 4, Main Co-Host: Season 6 2018 Black-ish Barbara Recurring cast: Season 4 Animals. Tia/Waitress 1 (voice) Episode: "Rats" 2018–19 Hip Hop Squares Herself/Panelist Recurring panelist: Season 5-6 2019 Bring the Funny Herself/Host Main host Camp Confessions Herself Episode: "Amanda Seales Makes Love to Spirit" 2019–21 To Tell the Truth Herself/Panelist Guest panelist: Season 4-5 & 7 2020 Cooked with Cannabis Herself Episode: "High Holidays" Floored Herself/Guest Judge Episode: "Beware the Bears" BET Awards Herself/Host Main host Hollywood Game Night Herself/Celebrity Player Episode: "Twitch & Shout" Match Game Herself/Contestant Episode: "Episode #5.8" 2021 Fast Foodies Herself Episode: "Amanda Seales" Finding Magic Mike Herself Episode: "A Talented Man" 2022 Real Husbands of Hollywood Herself Episode: "Wrestling While Black" Everything's Gonna Be All White Herself Main guest Inventions That Changed History Herself Recurring guest Celebrity Game Face Herself/Contestant Episode: "Cedric the Entertainer Busts Kevin's Chops" Wheel of Fortune Herself/Contestant Episode: "Amanda Seales, Snoop Dogg, Mark Duplass" Mickey Mouse Funhouse Annie the Giant (voice) Recurring cast: Season 1 Sherman's Showcase Faith Evans Episode: "Fashion!" 2022–23 25 Words or Less Herself/Contestant Recurring contestant: Season 3-5 2022–24 Pictionary Herself/Team Captain Recurring Team Captain: Season 1, Guest Team Captain: Season 2 2023 See It Loud: The History of Black Television Herself Recurring guest The $100,000 Pyramid Herself/Celebrity Player Episode: "Will Sasso vs. Amanda Seales and Dulé Hill vs. Francia Raisa" Name That Tune Herself/Contestant Episode: "Lightning & Glitter!" Celebrity Squares Herself/Contestant Recurring guest Celebrity Jeopardy! Herself/Contestant Episode: "Quarter Final #9: Kyra Sedgwick, Mo Rocca and Amanda Seales" Crimson Hearts Collide Kelsey Main cast

Documentary Year Title 2007 Beef 4 2008 Big Pun: The Legacy 2014 Bottoms Up