December 23, 2025 at 10:55 am

‘Never be envious of anyone. Never be jealous of anyone.’ – An “Orange is the New Black” Actress Said She Was Homeless While The Show Was Being Filmed

by Matthew Gilligan

woman talking to tiktokkers

TikTok/@themandelaeffect1

Folks, you’re about to watch a very important video that should put a lot of things into perspective for you.

Mandela Bellamy revealed that when she starred on the hit show Orange is the New Black, she was actually homeless.

woman talking about being homeless

TikTok/@themandelaeffect1

Bellamy showed viewers a photo of herself at a party and said, “I really want everyone to understand that when you see these Getty Images, this is a homeless woman in this picture.”

She added, “The only reason I was able to afford a publicist is because, obviously, I wasn’t paying rent, and I had a national commercial that was running.”

woman talking to tiktok viewers

TikTok/@themandelaeffect1

Bellamy continued, “All of that money from that national commercial went to pay my publicist instead of finding a new place for me to live. Because when you’re an actor, you have to prioritize your career over everything, including keeping a permanent roof over your head.”

She then dropped some words of wisdom and said, “Never be envious of anyone. Never be jealous of anyone, ever. And I never will be again, because I know better.”

Those are words to live by!

woman talking about being homeless

TikTok/@themandelaeffect1

Check out the video.

@themandelaeffect1

Replying to @Peasants-rights #greenscreen The world is an illusion. #fugazi #homeless #actor

♬ original sound – Mandela Bellamy

Bellamy posted another video on TikTok and talked about how she was living in a women’s shelter in Brooklyn during filming.

Check out what she had to say.

@themandelaeffect1

Replying to @foxy moron homeless and partying with billionaires😳🤷🏾‍♀️ #oitnb @Netflix @quintab @Uzo @E! News @The Hollywood Reporter @Deadline @Backstage @TMZ

♬ original sound – Mandela Bellamy

TikTokkers shared their thoughts.

This person chimed in.

Screenshot 2025 11 29 at 1.49.19 PM Never be envious of anyone. Never be jealous of anyone.   An Orange is the New Black Actress Said She Was Homeless While The Show Was Being Filmed

Another individual shared their thoughts.

Screenshot 2025 11 29 at 1.49.40 PM Never be envious of anyone. Never be jealous of anyone.   An Orange is the New Black Actress Said She Was Homeless While The Show Was Being Filmed

And this viewer spoke up.

Screenshot 2025 11 29 at 1.53.25 PM Never be envious of anyone. Never be jealous of anyone.   An Orange is the New Black Actress Said She Was Homeless While The Show Was Being Filmed

This story is a reminder that looks can be deceiving.

If you liked that story, check out this video from a former Chipotle employee who reveals how the company cheats customers out of food.