Sheryl Lee Ralph’s Son Suffered Brain-Damaging Car Accident, Was Shot 3 Times During Robbery
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Sheryl Lee Ralph “collapsed” upon hearing news of her son, Etienne’s, involvement in a horrible car crash, only for him to then be shot three times during a robbery.
The Abbott Elementary star opened up to AARP about the troubling sequence of events that would leave any concerned mother in tears.
“When Etienne was in college, he had a car accident and suffered a concussion. It changed his whole brain,” she explained. “Then he got mugged, and they shot him three times. He woke up in the hospital with two bullets in his leg and a wound in his forehead where a bullet had grazed him.”
Upon hearing news of her son being shot, Ralph immediately “collapsed and dropped the phone.”
“I didn’t even listen to the rest. But they didn’t kill him, thank God,” the actress shared. “Now he runs his own production company and nonprofit, WalkGoodLA, which is centered around healing, mental health and overall well-being.”
The Moesha alum shares Etienne, 31, and daughter Ivy-Victoria (nickname Coco), 28, with ex-husband Eric Maurice, whom she divorced in 2001.
Ralph went on to share her thoughts on parenthood, saying she always “knew I was going to be somebody’s mother.” She also referred to her offspring as “my greatest gift.”
“When I met their father, my first husband, I could see my children just as clearly as they are in life right now, and I said, ‘Oh, I know the assignment right here. We got married and had our son, Etienne, and our daughter, Coco. The marriage lasted almost 10 years.”
“If I had a regret in life, it would be that I didn’t have more children,” she admitted before adding, “but I have two beautiful children.”
Etienne and Coco spoke with VIBE back in March about their current involvement in their mom’s career, and how working together has further cemented their relationships, as Etienne serves as Ralph’s content director while Coco is her mother’s stylist.
“We’ve been like this. We have not changed,” said Etienne at the time. “I think now, with our mom being on the number one TV show in the world, has given all of us a platform and a bigger stage for us to show the world the love that we have for each other. So, I think people are really resonating with the energy and the vibe that we carry in our everyday lives.”
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