Tracee Ellis Ross has publicly questioned whether racism played a role in her and her "Girlfriends" co-stars being excluded from appearances on Jay Leno's late-night show during the sitcom's height of popularity.
During a recent appearance on the "What Now?" podcast with Trevor Noah, Ross recounted how she and her fellow "Girlfriends" actresses—Golden Brooks, Persia White, and Jill Marie Jones—felt sidelined by the industry despite their show's success. Ross, who played Joan Clayton on the series, noted the absence of invitations to programs like "The Tonight Show," "David Letterman," and the Emmy Awards. "I have a story. It was Jay Leno," Ross stated. "And I had ‘Girlfriends,’ and the comment was, ‘We love Tracee. Call us when she gets something.’"
Ross expressed confusion over the comment, questioning what else she needed to achieve. She recalled observing guests from shows with significantly lower viewership than "Girlfriends" appearing on Leno's program. For instance, she mentioned the show "Monk" having "a quarter of our viewership." "I remember seeing him on the show and I was so confused. And I was like, ‘I don’t understand. Is it viewership?" Ross shared. "And the only thing you can boil it down to, you’re like, ‘Is it just racism?’ I’m not sure how to — how do you categorize it? I don’t know what it is."
Ross's first Emmy nomination and appearance at the awards ceremony came with her role in "Black-ish."
"Girlfriends," created by Mara Brock Akil, aired for eight seasons from 2000 to 2008. The series followed the lives of four Black women navigating their careers, relationships, and friendships. The show garnered 29 NAACP Image Award nominations and one Emmy nomination for outstanding cinematography.
