Sheryl Lee Ralph And Diana Ross Ended Feud ‘Years’ Ago Thanks To Ross’s Son
Sheryl Lee Ralph admits to having a past feud with Diana Ross over her “Dreamgirls” role. But says the two were able to make amends “years later.”
The “Abbott Elementary” star got candid with Oprah Winfrey for Oprah Daily’s “The Life You Want’ Class: A Conversation with Sheryl Lee Ralph,” about her one-sided feud with “The Boss” Miss Ross that stemmed over Ralph’s starring role in the 1981 Broadway debut of the musical “Dreamgirls.”
Ralph was among the inaugural “Dreamgirls” cast when the story first hit the public as a play. It follows the story of a girl group trio that navigates their way through the music industry in the 1960s.
25 years before the 2006 musical film starring Beyoncé Knowles-Carter in the lead role of Deena Jones, Ralph played Deena the lead singer of the group and character that many likened to the real-life story of Diana Ross and The Supremes.
In 2007, Diana Ross spoke with David Letterman and admitted to never seeing the “Dreamgirls” musical but had plans to see the film.
“I have not seen it … I’ve heard a lot about it. I’m going to see it with my lawyers,” she quipped.
“It has been said to me that there’s a lot of my image and likeness in the movie. What I would like to do is be able to see it. I like to inspire the talent that is out there today,” she said. “If I’ve done that, it’s a good thing.”
While speaking with Winfrey, Ralph and revealed the orders she was given not to portray Ross in the 1981 musical or else the production would get “sued.” Yet, many, including Ross, were convinced that the story was based on her music career. It ultimately led to an encounter between Ross and Ralph at the Russian Tea Room in New York City.
“At that moment, she walked into the Russian Tea Room and I was like, ‘There she was,'” Ralph shared. “I just got up and walked over to her. And she turned around in the way that you could smell her perfume. It was beautiful. And the smile left her face looking at me. And I was like, ‘Oh my gosh. She doesn’t like me because of the show.'”
“She said, ‘I know who you are.’ And I was just like, OK. And she turned around and she was gone,” Ralph said.
It was “years later” when Ralph bumped into Ross again and one of her two sons helped break the ice and get the music icon to speak to Ralph.
“Her son said, ‘She’s right there, mom. Right there.’ He was yelling at the time because we were all in the same place,” Ralph recalled.
“And she didn’t want to see me but then she saw me and she came over and we talked and it was wonderful. It was lipstick and lashes under the bridge. It was gone. She said, ‘Girl, that was such a long time ago. I understand now.’ I was like, ‘Aw, here’s the moment.’ It was great.”
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