Sherrill Lee Ralph has alleged she was sexually assaulted by a “famous TV judge” at a business event years earlier, claiming that network executives witnessed the attack, but told her to keep quiet to avoid “bad press”.
“I’m in a very public place. I was fit. I put on my suit. I was handling my work for the TV show I was on at the time,” Ralph said, recalling the alleged incident.
“This guy came in, grabbed me by the back of the neck, turned me around and thrust his painful tongue into my throat,” said Ralph. “Everyone in the network saw it.”
The Emmy Award-winning “Abbott Elementary” actress and “Dreamgirls” star did not name the man who allegedly assaulted her, nor did she reveal which network or show she was working with at the time. Ralph made sure to note that it wasn’t Judge Greg Mattis. “I love him. He’s a great guy,” she said of the “Judge Mathis” star. “Not him at all. He’s a great guy. This was another. “
Ralph made the allegations this week on podcast, “The Road with Angela Lee.” Visibly upset when she retells her story, Ralph says she decided to open up to her in hopes of encouraging the other women and actors to stand up for themselves.
“Speak up, tell the truth, don’t burden yourself with pain…especially if you feel like it’s something you can’t work through,” said Ralph.
Ralph said she was willing to report the incident, even calling the former mayor of New Orleans, Marc Morial, who was in office from 1994 to 2002. (During that time frame, Ralph starred in the UPN sitcom “Moesha.”) he said. Ralph: The mayor immediately came to her defense, asking, “Do you want me to send the police over there now?” Because we’re going to fix this, you know what! But Ralph claims the network told her to keep quiet.
“Someone on the network tapped my shoulder saying, ‘Please don’t,'” Ralph said. “They didn’t want any bad press about their show, and they didn’t care what just happened to me.”
“They saw what happened,” Ralph continued. Recalling network executives and bystanders telling her, she added, “It’s not that bad, is it? Please don’t say anything. We don’t need bad press. It’s a brand new show. Your new show…it wasn’t so bad after all.” , is not it? “
“That’s the kind of thing that happens,” said Ralph. “That’s what makes it so hard for women to talk about these things.”
diverse I reached out to a representative for Ralph for further comment.
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