Sheryl Lee Ralph Says Her Son Etienne ‘Melted into a Puddle’ When Beyoncé Called Him ‘Handsome’

The 'Abbott Elementary' star and her 32-year-old son met Beyoncé for the first time at a party ahead of the 2023 Super Bowl

Sheryl Lee Ralph’s son Etienne got the ultimate stamp of approval from none other than Queen Bey herself.

The Abbott Elementary star recalled the sweet interaction that her 32-year-old son shared with Beyoncé, 42, at the Gold Ball ahead of the 2023 Super Bowl — where she sang the National Anthem — during an appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show on Thursday, April 11.

“She comes over and she introduces herself — like I don’t know it’s Beyoncé,” Ralph, 67, said of the memorable moment when she first met the singer last year. “And then she looks at my son, she looks at Etienne, and she says, ‘And you are so handsome.’”

Jennifer Hudson then asked how Etienne responded. “Ooh, did he pass out?”

“My poor son just melted into a puddle,” Ralph shared. “And he’s just standing there looking at the golden image and when she walks away, he’s like, ‘Mom, she said I’m handsome.’”

The Emmy-winning actress said it was a “crazy” encounter. “I loved that moment for him. Man, it was a good one.”

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Related: Sheryl Lee Ralph's Daughter Urged Her to Go to Therapy: 'The More You Deny It the More You Need It' (Exclusive)

Ralph shares both Etienne and her daughter Ivy-Victoria, who also goes by Coco, with her ex-husband Eric Maurice, whom she divorced in 2001. Her kids are her “best legacy,” as she said in a March interview with Self.

"They always say, 'Children keep you young.' If you're open to it, they absolutely do," she told the outlet. "I'm floored by the way they're just living their lives to their fullness — and in a way that's not just for them, but they're helping others. So it says to me, 'Wow, they're paying attention.'"

Related: Sheryl Lee Ralph's Kids Share Emotional Video Celebrating Her Emmy Win: We Are so Proud of You'

She’s previously told PEOPLE she’s “so proud” of her children as she praised their hard-working nature — and applauded them for averting their nepobaby status.

"They're not looking at me to help them do this or that. They're not using nepotism. They're not coming to me saying, 'Can you call this? Can you do that?' They're doing it themselves, and I just respect them so much for that."

"Sometimes I say, 'Well, can I help?' They're like, 'No, mom, we got this. We got this, ' ” she continued. “And I'm like, 'Wow, you really do got this.’”

Ralph sees Etienne in particular as a “miracle” in her life, due to the terrible accident he was involved in more than a decade ago. In 2013, he was in a car accident, suffered a concussion and was later mugged and shot three times.

"There are moments in your children's lives that will bring you to your knees,” she told PEOPLE of the scary experiences her son has had. "Through everything my son has gone through, every time I see him I know what a miracle looks like.”

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