Issa Rae is facing a storm of controversy surrounding her former collaborator, Sarunas J. Jackson, as fans are urging her to distance herself from him amid disturbing allegations of coercion, infidelity, and abuse. The outcry comes after a woman named Tesha accused Jackson of pressuring her to abort their unborn child, ghosting her, and orchestrating a cover-up to hide the pregnancy from his girlfriend.
Allegations are supported by leaked voice recordings and text messages.
In a series of now-viral Instagram posts, Tesha detailed a brief, “strictly physical” relationship with Jackson that began on Christmas Day 2023. Two weeks later, she discovered she was pregnant, prompting Jackson to allegedly demand she terminate the pregnancy because he “didn’t consent” to fatherhood. Tesha claims he then disappeared for weeks before resurfacing with a bizarre request: She should lie to his girlfriend, framing the pregnancy as a platonic “sperm donation agreement” between friends.
To back up her story, Tesha shared audio clips purportedly of Jackson strategizing the cover-up, along with screenshots of messages between her and his girlfriend, who confronted her about the affair. “I’m not normally into airing people out,” Tesha wrote. “But people need to be held accountable.”
While Tesha’s claims have yet to be officially confirmed, they appear to align with another viral TikTok “storytime,” where a woman claimed her ex, described as a “well-known actor,” lied about fathering a child via sperm donation to conceal infidelity. Though unnamed, fans quickly linked the story to Jackson due to overlapping details.
The new allegations have also reignited past controversies surrounding Jackson. Fans have resurfaced social media posts from Keke Palmer’s mother, who insinuated Jackson was abusive after he allegedly failed to intervene when she reported that his brother had abused Keke. Additionally, actress DomiNque Perry’s 2023 accusations of mental and physical abuse against Jackson have resurfaced, painting a troubling pattern of behavior.
As allegations pile up, fans are urging Issa Rae, a longtime friend who cast Jackson as Dro in Insecure, to sever ties with the actor. Social media erupted with demands for accountability, highlighting Rae’s influence as a producer and advocate for women’s stories.
