
She Gets It From Her Mama: Tracee Ellis Ross On How Diana Ross Shaped Her Sexuality

Some will tell you that finding yourself in a box is an opportunity to paint it; others will tell you to break out of the box altogether.
Tracee Ellis Ross is that friend who demands you to break barriers that the world may try to place on you and live bold in your fullness. Tracee has consistently been a role model for self-love and sex positivity. Through her words and activism, we come to know that loving yourself is one of the greatest gifts you can give - not only to yourself but to those around you. In a recent profile with Glamour Magazine, we are able to take a look inside of Tracee's journey with radical self-love, sexuality, and ownership of the woman she is today.
As the daughter of super diva Diana Ross, it's only natural that you pick up on the feminine power rather quickly. Tracee reveals that her mother is the reason why she has always been so comfortable, and positive, with her sexuality.
"My mom is a sexy woman—that is part of her persona—and that is a delicious thing that has never felt scary to me. Recently I learned this wonderful term, sex-positive, and that is the way I feel. [For me] the answer to the objectification of women and black women in our culture is not to shut down my sexuality but to own it as something that is mine."
Having a superstar as a mother has its perks; however, to Tracee, the greatest aspect about her mother is her ability to love, not how talented she is. The down-to-earth personality that we all love about Tracee is rooted in the unconditional, prideful love that her mother shows for her family.
"The Diana Ross we all know kind of doesn't hold a candle to the mom that I have, in her extraordinary ability to love. What was most impactful about that moment to me was that my mother was receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award for her career, and the most important thing to my mom was to have her entire family onstage with her. My mom had my nieces and nephews—her grandchildren—dancing around her. Whenever we go see her show, that's what happens. That's the way I grew up, dancing onstage while my mom was singing. Just like walking on the stage and tapping her on the butt, and like, 'Mom, Mom.' My mom holds her family and a career and nourishes both things.
My mother has a deep heart for her children that I almost don't understand.… I have these memories, like I said, my mom is onstage doing her job, and as a kid, I would wander in during shows, like, 'Hey, Mom.' And she was not like, 'Get off the stage! Get out of my moment!' She's like, 'What's up?' I have never heard my mom say, 'Not now—I don't have time.' Even now, in the middle of the night, my mom will answer the telephone. It's incredible to know you are loved in a way that somebody is there for you.
That's something that I have used in my relationships with friends. My friends know: My home phone ringer doesn't turn off. You need me in the middle of the night? I am your girl. I will bring you to the hospital. I will call you if you are frightened."
From awards to front-cover editorials to critically-acclaimed TV shows - Tracee has done it all. And Diana is always in the first row to cheer her on, even if her choice of career sometimes scared Diana.
"My mom was in my first meeting with Wilhelmina, the modeling agency. She set it up. I did the Thierry Mugler fashion show because of her. Thierry Mugler had asked her to do it, and she said the only way I'll do it is if you let my daughter walk too. So, my mom never dissuaded it; although I will say, she was very big on saying things like, "You sure you don't want to be a doctor?" Her sister is a world-renowned doctor: Dr. Barbara Ross-Lee, the first black female dean of a medical school. So, we had all of those options open to us. But what I saw in my mother was a woman with a platform, who had agency in her life. I walked toward that."
Tracee has been working towards creating her own platform for years and it has paid off in major ways.
Not only in her work, but with her openness to discuss personal sentiments of her life - being in her 40s and single - does Tracee help give an unconventional angle to somewhat monotonous conversations. In her speech at the Women of the Year conference, she opened up about how others seem to pressure her to be boxed in to the norms of marriage and having children. Sometimes, it makes her feel "less than" despite all of her accomplishments.
Tracee is not in a rush to get married.
Cultivating self-hood is the prerequisite of any healthy union. When you cultivate love for self, you are filling up your glass to be able to water others with the extras. Tracee is a firm believer in becoming an advocate for yourself first and foremost. It is with yourself where you find home. It is with yourself where you are able to operate from a space of love.
"The key is you ask yourself, What do I need right now? I've cultivated a relationship with myself where I know I have choices…. I have a toolbox of ways I can find support; journaling is helpful, or meditation.
And I have had to really make friends with loneliness. And know the difference between choice-ful solitude and lonely. [I find comfort in] being able to name it, to say I'm feeling lonely, then to have a tribe of people I feel safe enough with to share: This is how I feel.
I don't have the luxury of not going to work when I don't feel up to it. Most people don't. On those days, I acknowledge I am feeling f-cking crappy, and I'm not at my best, and I still want to or need to keep walking forward. I have to do some of my best work on my worst days. I have to look pretty even when I don't feel pretty. There's a way to hold both things."
Many might confuse self-love with egotism. It's not at all the same thing. Tracee's cultivation of self-love is the root of where she waters her support for other women. With her own accomplishments, she is able to recognize the queenship of other women in their awards. Her pride for other women and women of color is just another reason why Tracee's cultivation of love is thick like honey and sweet for everyone who indulges.
"There's the personal gratification: I have dreamt of moments like these since I was a little girl, accepting my Oscar in the mirror. So, it's a dream come true. Oh my God, I made it. Pinch me. But what has been way more impactful for me is the larger meaning…. When another woman or another woman of color has a win, I feel like it's my win. I feel like it's a ceiling breaking open. And so, the nominations, even the win, really feels like it's not mine. It's like something becomes more possible."
Read Tracee's Glamour feature in full here.
Olivia Jade is a writer and creative engineer, intersecting wellness, culture, womanism, and self-development. She waters the flowers in her mind so others can recognize their own internal garden. Link up: @akaoliviajade (Twitter and IG) oliviajade.co
Devale Ellis On Being A Provider, Marriage Growth & Redefining Fatherhood
In this candid episode of the xoMAN podcast, host Kiara Walker talked with Devale Ellis, actor, social media personality, and star of Zatima, about modern masculinity, learning to be a better husband, emotional presence in marriage, fatherhood for Black men, and leading by example.
“I Wasn’t Present Emotionally”: Devale Ellis on Marriage Growth
Devale Ellis On Learning He Was a ‘Bad Husband’
Ellis grew up believing that a man should prioritize providing for his family. “I know this may come off as misogynistic, but I feel like it’s my responsibility as a man to pay for everything,” he said, emphasizing the wise guidance passed down by his father. However, five years into his marriage to long-time partner Khadeen Ellis, he realized provision wasn’t just financial.
“I was a bad husband because I wasn’t present emotionally… I wasn’t concerned about what she needed outside of the resources.”
Once he shifted his mindset, his marriage improved. “In me trying to be of service to her, I learned that me being of service created a woman who is now willing to be of service to me.”
On Redefining Masculinity and Fatherhood
For Ellis, “being a man is about being consistent.” As a father of four, he sees parenthood as a chance to reshape the future.
“Children give you another chance at life. I have four different opportunities right now to do my life all over again.”
He also works to uplift young Black men, reinforcing their worth in a world that often undermines them. His values extend to his career—Ellis refuses to play roles that involve domestic violence or sexual assault.
On Marriage, Family Planning, and Writing His Story
After his wife’s postpartum preeclampsia, Ellis chose a vasectomy over her taking hormonal birth control, further proving his commitment to their partnership. He and Khadeen share their journey in We Over Me, and his next book, Raising Kings: How Fatherhood Saved Me From Myself, is on the way.
Through honesty and growth, Devale Ellis challenges traditional ideas of masculinity, making his story one that resonates deeply with millennial women.
For the xoMAN podcast, host Kiara Walker peels back the layers of masculinity with candid conversations that challenge stereotypes and celebrate vulnerability. Real men. Real stories. Real talk.
Want more real talk from xoMAN? Catch the full audio episodes every Tuesday on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and don’t miss the full video drops every Wednesday on YouTube. Hit follow, subscribe, and stay tapped in.
Featured image by YouTube/xoNecole
Tisha Campbell Shares Why She Got A Mommy Makeover & And We’re Here For The Transparency
Tisha Campbell is still here. Here. Here. Here. (If you know, you know.) The 56-year-old actress and singer is living her life loudly and without apology, all while keeping it real about the work she's had done.
While gracing the 2025 BET Awards red carpet last week, the My Wife & Kids alum let it be known that she has nothing to hide as she revealed to Entertainment Tonight that she recently had a mommy makeover. "I had extra skin from the baby and a little bit of droppage here and a little bit of droppage there," she shared with the outlet as an exclusive. "They tighten me together."
The mother of two shared that changing her body wasn't about anyone else; it was first and foremost about pleasing herself. "I'm a single mom, not ready for dating," she added. "But I just wanted to feel good for me."
Why Tisha Campbell Chose to Share About Her Plastic Surgery
Tisha isn't new to keeping it a buck and has always been transparent about subjects that others might shy away from, whether it's about her decision to walk away from the show that put her on the map as an actor or her decision to walk away from a 22-year marriage to ex-husband Duane Martin. Cosmetic surgery is simply another topic for the Tisha to be open about.
Even in a post-BBL era, cosmetic procedures are something that is still taboo to talk about, especially among women in Hollywood who have spent decades in the public eye, like Tisha. The self-proclaimed "open book" shared her why behind disclosing her surgery:
"I just think it's more important for people to know why one does it. If you wanna feel good about you. And I just wanted to be honest about it," she told ET. "I think it's more important, to be honest, to know that you know I didn't all this by myself. It's nice to be a little bit more snatched around that area."
Tisha Campbell is serving confidence and honesty about her mommy makeover 👶✨ #BETAwards #tishacampbell #kyliejenner #mommymakeover
So, What Is a Mommy Makeover?
For those who are unfamiliar, a "mommy makeover" refers to a combination of cosmetic procedures and can differ for every woman depending on her personal goals. While the overarching intention of a mommy makeover is often to "restore" their bodies to their "pre-baby" status, the procedures are customizable and ultimately based on what feels good to her personally.
This might look like a tummy tuck or liposuction, a breast lift, reduction, or augmentation, a labiaplasty, or any other nips and tucks that support how they feel in their bodies after giving birth.
What stood out in Tisha's clip wasn't just her transparency in action, but also the intention behind her decision to have surgery. She waited until her sons Xen, 23, and Ezekiel,15, were older to have her procedure and made it clear that she centered herself in her choice. In her new season life, this is how she is honoring herself.
"For me. It's not for everybody, it's for me."
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Featured image by Rob Latour/Shutterstock