Why 'Insecure' Star Jay Ellis and His Wife Keep Their Relationship Under Wraps
Updated July 19 2022, 12:57 p.m. ET
Jay Ellis made his television debut as an uncredited extra in ABC’s Invasion in 2005 and went on to guest star on shows like Grey’s Anatomy, NCIS, and How I Met Your Mother before he was cast as the lead actor on The Game in 2013. Although the series came to an end in 2015, Jay’s career in entertainment was just getting started.
The same year, Jay joined the cast of Insecure as Lawrence and subsequently rose to icon status on Black Twitter. Although his onscreen romance with Issa Rae was an emotional rollercoaster, we were happy to be along for the ride.
But years before Lawrence began his years-long love affair with Issa, Jay Ellis met his wife and mother of his daughter. The star appeared alongside his Top Gun: Maverick co-star Glen Powell to help Michelle Young find love in the Nov. 2 episode of The Bachelorette. But who is Jay Ellis's own wife?
Who is Jay Ellis’s wife? Meet the ‘Insecure’ star’s love, Nina Seničar.
Season 18 of The Bachelorette featured Michelle bringing in reinforcements who knew a thing or two about falling in love. While Glen was currently dating Gigi Paris, Jay and his wife Nina Seničar have been together since 2015.
The 36-year-old Serbian actress began acting in her early teens and later developed an extensive filmography of both American and Italian films and television shows. Nina also has a background in philanthropy and worked closely with Pangea Onlus, an international organization dedicated to helping women who have been victims of violent crimes.
Jay previously revealed that the two were engaged to be married, but remained pretty tight-lipped about the details of their relationship. In the past, users on social media have criticized the actor for keeping his romance with Nina under wraps, which he addressed in a previous Breakfast Club interview.
“I am in a relationship. I’m in a very happy relationship, and that’s where I leave it,” Jay told the hosts. “I don’t really worry about anything else, and that’s it. I think for me, we give so much of ourselves in what we do no matter what side of the industry we’re on, so for me … a relationship for me is probably the most important thing that I think two people can have.”
Jay Ellis and his wife, Nina Seničar, welcomed a baby girl in 2019.
In November of 2019, Jay and Nina welcomed their first child, Nora Grace Ellis. Much like his character on Insecure, Jay Ellis is new to fatherhood — but he takes his new role seriously.
In an interview with Essence, Jay shared how becoming a father has challenged him to push his limits. “That’s one of the biggest things that I took away from it: I can do this. This is going to hurt. My eyes are going to burn because I’m tired, but I can actually do it, and nothing has to suffer. I didn’t want to not be there for my baby. I wanted as much chest-to-chest time as I could get. I wanted all the bottles. I wanted all the diapers,” he shared.
On July 9, 2022, the couple married in Italy, later sharing photos from the big day on Instagram. They wrote: "July 9th, 2022… Forever" in Italian on their respective posts.
