Tracee Ellis Ross’ Parents: All About Her Relationship with Diana Ross and Robert Ellis Silberstein

Tracee Ellis Ross may be the daughter of music legend Diana Ross and music business executive Robert Ellis Silberstein, but to her, they’re just mom and dad.

As she cultivated her own life as an adult, Black-like the actress looked at how she and her four siblings were raised by Diana.

“My mom was extremely present,” she said In style for her 2022 cover “Waking us up for school, sitting with us at dinner and giving us a real, anchored, real family life and home life. The most important thing to my mother wasn’t fame, it was her children.”

But it was still impossible to avoid some aspects of her mother’s stardom growing up. “You couldn’t not knowing. There was no way around it,” she said CARRIER 2020 knowing about the famous family in which she was born.

“There were certain times she couldn’t participate in, like going to school shopping because it was a distraction,” Tracee explained. “And yes, I was in the White House more than once as a child, Andy Warhol took a picture of me, and Michael Jackson was a family friend. But I was aware of how unique and extraordinary it was; it was not something I took for granted.”

From her upbringing to supporting her career achievements as an adult, here’s everything you need 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 older

Diana Ross and Tracee Ellis Ross at the 42nd Annual American Music Awards on November 23, 2014 in Los Angeles, California.

Flanigan/Getty

Tracee was born on October 29, 1972, but it took her almost 40 years to sing for her mother.

“There’s a reason I waited 47 years to let my voice out publicly!” she once told PEOPLE. “Singing was my childhood dream – but scary when your mother is who.” my she is a mother. The idea of ​​comparison, it is in the mind of a child or the mind of an adult. I could be torn down and wiped out.”

Tracee decided it was time for action and drove to Diana’s house in early 2020, when she played her song “Love Myself” from her film High note as she sat in her driveway.

“I felt like I brought my heart to her,” Tracee recalled, adding that Diana asked her daughter to play the song again. “And then my mother said, ‘Finally. Finally.’ ”

“I wanted to sing for so long,” she added. “My mom cried and we just looked at each other. We were both so excited. My mom always knew I could sing. There were gentle nudges over the years, so this was a big moment.”

Tracee changed her name when her dad did too

Robert Ellis Silberstein and Tracee Ellis Ross at the HBO FILMS screening of “Life Support” on March 5, 2007 in New York City.

Billy Farrell/Patrick McMullan/Getty

Tracee’s parents were only married from 1971 to 1977, and her father later dropped the Silberstein surname to Ellis. Tracee and her siblings, Rhonda and Chudney, also followed suit, all changing their last names to Ross.

The Golden Globe winner explained for W Magazine“My father’s name is Robert Ellis Silberstein, and [when] he rejected Silberstein, we all rejected Silberstein. I felt really strongly that I wanted my father’s name in my name, because everyone knows that I am my mother’s daughter, but I am also my father’s daughter.

In addition to dropping Silberstein, Tracee also changed her middle name from Joy to Ellis. “And I wanted him, when my name appeared on the screen, to know that I was also a part of him. And so it’s Tracee Ellis Ross,” 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

Despite her mother’s fame, Tracee said she never felt like she was living in her shadow.

“I 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 arms. So it was never an effort.”

“But I felt like I wanted to find my own way as a person,” Ross continued. “And it’s really special to be at this moment, at the age of 43, to be nominated for an Emmy for the first time.”

“It’s a good feeling,” she added at the time.

Tracee gets her sense of humor from Robert

Robert Ellis Silberstein and Tracee Ellis Ross attend an ovarian cancer fundraiser in New York in December 1997.

RTTalesnick/MediaPunch/Alamy

Tracee may resemble her mom in some ways, but she owes her humor to Robert.

She explained Refinery 29, “My dad is funny. I don’t know if I got it genetically, but his perspective and outlook on life and ability to laugh at himself and life and see the humor in life is something I love about him. And that I am very grateful to have received it.”

Tracee took to Instagram to highlight their carefree time together, including a trip to Whole Foods in 2017 where they laughed while eating samples of the deli’s turkey and juggling lemons.

“Oh, I love this guy and he makes me laugh so hard. So much like him! #IgetItFromMyDad,” she captioned the video.

Accepting the Fashion Icon award at the 2020 People’s Choice Awards, Tracee not only thanked Diana for her “sense of style” and “epic wardrobe”, but also paid tribute to her father’s funny side.

“Thanks to my dad for paying for those maroon Ralph Lauren jeans I tricked him into buying me when I was 14, for his impeccable style and for being my humorous twin,” she said on stage.

Tracee is her mom’s biggest fan

Diana Ross with her daughters Rhonda Ross and Tracee Ellis Ross in New York on April 18, 1996.

Henry McGee/MediaPunch/Alamy

Tracee elevated her mom with her many accomplishments, especially when their professional paths crossed. In 2017, Tracee pulled double duty as host of the American Music Awards and also supported Diana who received a Lifetime Achievement Award.

“She’s an international treasure in my opinion,” Tracee told PEOPLE ahead of the show. “I’m excited that the younger generation can witness it, even if only through a television screen.”

She added: “I also think it’s a really remarkable thing to pay tribute to someone who has had such a timeless career, whose music has touched lives in such a touching and special way. Music reaches your heart, and my mom’s voice has been a part of people’s lives for a long time.”

Not only did she pay homage to her mom’s musical legacy, but also her status as a style icon with a Diana-inspired look. “I’m a stylish girl, so there will be a few nods to my mother and her amazing fashion,” she said at the time.

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Source: HIS Education