Diana Ross and Tracee Ellis Ross attend the 2019 Vanity Fair Oscar Party on February 24, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California. ; Robert Ellis Silberstein and Tracee Ellis Ross at the ‘Cold Copy’ World Premiere during the 2023 Tribeca Festival on June 11, 2023.Photo:evin Mazur/VF19/WireImage ; Christina DeOrtentiis/Everett Collection/Alamy
evin Mazur/VF19/WireImage ; Christina DeOrtentiis/Everett Collection/Alamy
Tracee Ellis Rossmay be the daughter of musical legendDiana Rossand music business managerRobert Ellis Silberstein, but to her, they’rejust mom and dad.
“My mom was extremely present,” she toldInStylefor her 2022 cover story. “Waking us up for school, sitting for dinner with us and giving us a genuine, anchored, real family life and home life. The most important thing to my mother was not fame, it was her children.”
But there was still no avoiding some aspects of her mother’s stardom growing up. “You couldn’tnotknow. There was no way around that,” she toldPORTERin 2020 of knowing about the famous family she was born into.
“There were certain moments she couldn’t be involved in, like taking me school shopping because it was distracting,” Tracee explained. “And yeah, I was at the White House multiple times as a child,Andy Warholpainted me, andMichael Jacksonwas a friend of the family. But I was aware of how unique and extraordinary it was; it wasn’t something I took for granted.”
From her upbringing to supporting her career achievements as an adult, here’s everything to know about Tracee Ellis Ross’ relationship with her parents, Diana Ross and Robert Ellis Silberstein.
Tracee didn’t sing for Diana until she was an adult
Diana Ross and Tracee Ellis Ross attend the 42nd Annual American Music Awards on November 23, 2014 in Los Angeles, California.Flanigan/Getty
Flanigan/Getty
Tracee was born on Oct. 29, 1972, but it took nearly 40 years forher to sing for her mother.
“There’s a reason I waited 47 years to let my voice out publicly!” she once told PEOPLE. “It was my childhood dream to sing — but terrifying when your mother is whomymother is. The idea of comparison, that’s in a child’s mind or an adult’s mind. I could be taken down and obliterated.”
Tracee decided it was time to take action and drove over to Diana’s house in early 2020, when she played the song “Love Myself” from her movieThe High Notewhile sitting in her driveway.
“It felt like bringing her my heart,” Tracee recalled, adding that Diana asked her daughter to play the song again. “And then my mother said, ‘Finally. Finally.’ "
“I have wanted to sing for so long,” she added. “My mom teared up, and we just kept looking at each other. We were both so excited. My mom has always known I could sing. There have been gentle nudges over the years, so this was a big moment.”
Tracee changed her name when her dad did
Robert Ellis Silberstein and Tracee Ellis Ross attend HBO FILMS' Screening of “Life Support” on March 5, 2007 in New York City.Billy Farrell/Patrick McMullan/Getty
Billy Farrell/Patrick McMullan/Getty
The Golden Globe Award winner explained toW Magazine, “My father’s name is Robert Ellis Silberstein, and [when] he dropped Silberstein, we all dropped Silberstein. I really felt strongly that I wanted my father’s name in my name, because everyone knows I’m my mom’s daughter, but I’m also very much my dad’s daughter.”
In addition to dropping Silberstein, Tracee also changed her middle name from Joy to Ellis. “And I wanted him, when my name hit a screen, to know that I was also part of him. And so Tracee Ellis Ross it is,” she explained.
Tracee doesn’t feel like she’s living in Diana’s shadow
Diana Ross and actress Tracee Ellis Ross pose in the press room at the 2017 American Music Awards on November 19, 2017 in Los Angeles, California.Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic
Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic
Despite her mother’s fame,Tracee has said that she has never felt likeshe’s living in her shadow.
“I’ve never felt like I was in my mother’s shadow,” the actress told PEOPLE ahead of the 2016 Emmys. “If anything, I felt like I was in her embrace. So it’s never been an effort to do that.”
“But I did have a sense of wanting to find my own path as a person,” Ross continued. “And it is really special to be in this moment, at 43 years old, to be nominated for an Emmy for the first time.”
“It feels good,” she added at the time.
Tracee gets her sense of humor from Robert
Robert Ellis Silberstein and Tracee Ellis Ross attend an Ovarian Cancer Benefit in New York City in December 1997.RTTalesnick /MediaPunch/Alamy
RTTalesnick /MediaPunch/Alamy
Tracee may take after her mom in some aspects, but her humor is thanks to Robert.
She explained toRefinery 29, “My dad is hilarious. I don’t know if I got it genetically, but his perspective and point of view on life and ability to laugh at himself and laugh at life and see the humor in life is something that I love about him. And that I’m very grateful I got that.”
Tracee hashighlighted their lighthearted times togetheron Instagram, including a trip to Whole Foods in 2017 where they laughed through eating turkey samples at the deli and juggling lemons.
“Oh, I love this guy and he makes me laugh so hard. So much like him! #IGetItFromMyDad,”she captioned the video.
Whileaccepting the Fashion Icon Awardat the2020 People’s Choice Awards, Tracee not only thanked Diana for her “sense of style” and “epic closet,” but also gave her dad’s funny side a shoutout.
“Thank you to my father for paying for those chestnut suede Ralph Lauren jeans that I tricked him into buying me when I was 14, for his impeccable style and for being my humor twin,” she shared on stage.
Tracee is her mom’s biggest fan
Diana Ross with her daughters Rhonda Ross And Tracee Ellis Ross in New York City on April 18, 1996.Henry McGee/MediaPunch/Alamy
Henry McGee/MediaPunch/Alamy
Tracee hasuplifted her momthrough her many accomplishments, especially when their professional paths have crossed. In 2017, Tracee did double duty as host of the American Music Awards andwas also supporting Dianawhoreceived the Lifetime Achievement Award.
“She’s a bit of an international treasure in my opinion,” Tracee told PEOPLE ahead of the show. “I’m excited that a younger generation gets to witness that, even just through the television screen.”
She added, “Also I think it’s a really extraordinary thing to honor somebody who’s had such an everlasting career, whose music has touched lives in such a poignant and special way. Music reaches into your heart, and my mom’s voice has been a part of people’s lives for a long time.”
source: people.com
