OITNB writer Lauren Morelli splits with husband and dating Samira Wiley after realizing she was gay

Writer Lauren Morelli is splitting from her husband after realizing she is a lesbian like many of the characters she writes about on Orange is the New Black. Soon after her realization, she fell in love with actress Samira Wiley, who plays Poussey Washington on the hit Netflix series.

Morelli was with husband Steve Basilone for six years, but had only been married to him for five months when she realized she was gay. This realization was inspired by the catalyze of working on the show. She flew out to New York to work on OITNB, and she writes on mic.com “from that moment on my life fell into a parallel rhythm with Piper’s story in a way that went from interesting to terrifying in a matter of months.”

She wrote in her account that her husband had been struggling with a “life-threatening” illness for most of their relationship, but was healthy at the time of their marriage. Writing the over-the-phone breakup scene for the characters of Jason Biggs (Larry) and Taylor Schilling (Piper) was an intensely personal thing, and mirrored real conversations she had had. “I found a mouthpiece for my own desires and a glimmer of what my future could look like,” she said about Piper and Alex’s storyline.According to TMZ, the divorce is amicable: “She gets her Lexus, her apartment and her sapphire engagement ring. He gets the Mazda hatchback.”

Lauren and Samira have been dating since at least the beginning of the year, and attended last month’s Emmy Awards together (photo above is the two of them pre-Emmys.)

Image source: Lauren Morelli, Instagram