In January 1996, Brandy Norwood starred as Moesha, a young girl navigating school, friendships, romances, and home life. Cheryl Lee Ralph played D. Mitchell, the strict yet loving stepmom to Moesha and Miles, and wife to Frank Mitchell. Cheryl was initially thrilled to work with such a talented cast of black actors, but over the years, issues both on and off set created a toxic environment, ultimately leading her to leave the show after five seasons due to a lack of respect and constant turmoil.
But before we get into all that drama, make sure you have some snacks from rrgsnacks.com. They have a great selection of turkey, beef, and bacon jerky, buffalo wing popcorn, and gummy sour bears. If you watch Backstory, you know we like to take our time and give you the full context before diving into the main topic. Understanding Cheryl’s journey and struggles before her role on “Moesha” gives us better insight into her decision to leave. So, let’s rewind to 1977 when Cheryl got her start in Sydney Poitier’s film, “A Piece of the Action.”
Fast forward to 1981, Cheryl landed her breakout role as Deena Jones in the Broadway musical “Dreamgirls,” alongside Jennifer Holliday as Effie White and Loretta Devine as Laurel Robinson. During rehearsals, Cheryl and her castmates were pressured into signing a document without proper review. Cheryl, in her 20s at the time and eager to succeed, signed it reluctantly. She went on to perform in the show over a thousand times.
RRG has highlighted many stories about artists unknowingly signing away their rights, and Cheryl’s experience was no different. She later discovered that the document she signed sold her rights to “Dreamgirls” for just one dollar. While those at the top profited from her hard work, Cheryl received nothing. This was her first bitter taste of the underhanded tactics in the industry.
In 1982, the musical received 13 Tony Award nominations, and Cheryl was also nominated for Best Actress in a Musical. She remained dedicated to her career, experiencing highs with roles in “It’s a Living,” “Search for Tomorrow,” “Sister Act 2,” and “Designing Women.” However, she also faced significant setbacks. One casting director bluntly told her that audiences didn’t want to see her kiss Tom Cruise on screen because of her race. Another time, a producer looked at her braided hair in disgust and asked if she could find a “more natural” hairstyle. She even lost out on a job for not being “black enough.”
In 1990, Cheryl married Eric Maurice, and they had a son and a daughter. When her children were still very young, Cheryl was approached about a new sitcom being developed for Brandy. In her memoir, Cheryl mentioned that she had been following Brandy’s career and admired her voice and personality. She wrote, “Seeing a talented young black girl being herself, braids and all, filled me with joy.” “Moesha” premiered in January 1996, and Cheryl experienced several high points, including being voted one of America’s favorite TV moms. However, there were also challenging moments behind the scenes.
Cheryl revealed in her memoir that working with a group of teenagers with raging hormones was difficult. She wrote, “Kids can be rude and disrespectful. They can say things that shouldn’t be said to anyone.” Cheryl’s feelings were hurt many times, but as an adult, she had to restrain herself and fight the urge to put her young, disrespectful cast members in their place. It reached a point where she just wanted to do her job and go home to be with her family. However, her young co-stars were too busy “obviously enjoying themselves behind closed dressing room doors.” This caused delays in filming, and Cheryl had to stay on set late into the night while her family waited at home. Cheryl tried to stand up for herself and the other crew members with families, but her young co-stars weren’t receptive. Eventually, her castmates began to see her as the “wicked stepmother” who was ruining their fun. The young actors had paid handlers who kept them happy and justified their bad behavior, which meant their attitudes were mostly ignored, and they walked all over Cheryl. Cheryl wrote, “Let’s be clear: the show was called Moesha, not ‘Moesha’s Mom.’ What Brandy wanted, Brandy got.”
In 1982, the musical earned 13 Tony Award nominations, and Cheryl also received a Tony nomination for best actress in a musical. She stayed focused on her career and experienced several high points, including her appearances in “It’s a Living,” “Search for Tomorrow,” “Sister Act 2,” and the TV show “Designing Women.” But she also faced several rejections. One casting director told her that audiences didn’t want to see her kiss Tom Cruise on screen because of her race. In another incident, a producer looked at her braided hair in disgust and asked if she could find a “more natural” hairstyle. She also lost out on a job for not being “black enough.”
In 1990, Cheryl married Eric Maurice, and they had a son and a daughter. Her children were still very young when Cheryl heard about a new sitcom being developed for Brandy. In her memoir, Cheryl mentioned that she had been following Brandy’s career and admired her voice and personality. She wrote, “Seeing a talented young black girl being herself, braids and all, filled me with joy.” “Moesha” premiered in January 1996, and Cheryl had several wonderful moments, including being voted one of America’s favorite TV moms. However, there were also challenging moments behind the scenes.
Cheryl revealed in her memoir that working with a group of teenagers with raging hormones was difficult. She wrote, “Kids can be rude and disrespectful. They can say things that shouldn’t be said to anyone.” Cheryl’s feelings were hurt many times, but as an adult, she had to restrain herself and fight the urge to put her young, disrespectful cast members in their place. It reached a point where she just wanted to do her job and go home to be with her family. However, her young co-stars were too busy “obviously enjoying themselves behind closed dressing room doors.” This caused delays in filming, and Cheryl had to stay on set late into the night while her family waited at home. Cheryl tried to stand up for herself and the other crew members with families, but her young co-stars weren’t receptive. Eventually, her castmates began to see her as the “wicked stepmother” who was ruining their fun. The young actors had paid handlers who kept them happy and justified their bad behavior, which meant their attitudes were mostly ignored, and they walked all over Cheryl. Cheryl wrote, “Let’s be clear: the show was called Moesha, not ‘Moesha’s Mom.’ What Brandy wanted, Brandy got.”
During a summer break, Cheryl decided to get her hair braided. When filming resumed, she showed up with her braids pulled back in a ponytail. Initially, Brandy loved Cheryl’s braids, saying they looked like twins since Brandy often wore braids herself. But behind the scenes, Brandy had a different opinion. In her memoir, Cheryl wrote, “Brandy wasn’t happy at all with my wearing braids. According to Brandy, the braids were her style, her thing.” The producers of Moesha, wanting to keep Brandy happy, politely asked Cheryl to remove her braids, but she refused. When they demanded she take them out, Cheryl still stood her ground. The situation reminded her of a past incident where a producer had asked her to change her hairstyle for a “more natural” look. Eventually, the producers offered to donate $25,000 to her HIV and AIDS charity and promised to pay for a custom wig of her choice. Reluctantly, Cheryl agreed, but the damage was done. She felt the show had become more about backstage drama than the characters, and her hoped-for friendship with Brandy never materialized. At home, her marriage was also falling apart.
In season 5, episode 14, it’s revealed that Frank’s nephew Dorian, played by Ray J, was actually his son from an affair during a previous marriage. Cheryl expressed her disappointment with the show’s direction to People magazine, saying, “I didn’t understand why anybody felt it was necessary to destroy the family.” Online sources speculated this was why Cheryl left the show at the end of season five, but she offered a different explanation in her memoir. She wrote that the behind-the-scenes environment had become too toxic. “And when I am in a toxic environment, I get out as quickly as I can,” she said. She barely made it through season 5 due to the workplace conditions and her unraveling marriage. Cheryl told Oprah Winfrey, “The joy I used to feel going to the studio was gone, and one day as I was checking out at the supermarket, I was shocked to see a gossip rag with a very uncomplimentary behind-the-scenes story about Moesha that included my divorce.” She left the show as a full-time cast member when season five ended in 2000, the same year her divorce was finalized. Cheryl told Oprah, “I sank into a depression that caused me to doubt everything I knew about myself.” She added, “I understood how easily a person could end up with a drug or drinking problem because there were times when the pain was so deep I just wanted to feel better somehow, anyhow.” Her stress level was so high that she stopped eating, withdrew from the world, and even started losing her hair. One morning, noticing the bags under her eyes and her thinning hair, she decided it was time to heal. Determined to pick herself up for her own sake and her children, she began her journey to recovery. Cheryl found love again and married Pennsylvania Senator Vincent Hughes in 2005, with bridesmaids including Loretta Devine, Jennifer Lewis, and Patti LaBelle.
In 2006, the film adaptation of “Dreamgirls” was released, starring Jennifer Hudson, Beyoncé, and Anika Noni Rose. Cheryl expressed her disappointment on the “Unbothered” podcast, saying that the cast and crew shunned her and the original Broadway cast. She felt excluded from the entire film and believed that if she had been consulted to give Beyoncé some guidance on playing Deena, Beyoncé would have won at least one award for her performance.
It took 13 years, but Cheryl finally ran into Beyoncé at the grand opening of Tyler Perry’s Studio in 2019. Cheryl remembers walking down a flight of stairs and seeing Beyoncé at the bottom with open arms. Beyoncé said, “I want to thank you for everything you have done for me and the girls.” Cheryl shared on the “Unbothered” podcast that while it didn’t heal all her wounds, she appreciated Beyoncé’s heartfelt words.
These days, Cheryl has also reconciled with her Moesha co-stars. In her book, she mentioned that one actor apologized for his past behavior on set, admitting he had grown up, and Cheryl forgave him. When she met Brandy at a wedding, they embraced through tears. Brandy admitted, “I was just a kid. I didn’t know any better. You always wanted the best for me. I understand that now.” Cheryl said she looked at the strong, beautiful woman Brandy had become and cried along with her.
Despite landing several guest roles on TV shows, Cheryl often felt overlooked. She told the LA Times, “How can I be in this industry so long and never get an invitation to the Emmys? Why don’t they invite me? Why can’t I present something?” In 2017, she and her Moesha castmates reunited on an episode of “The Real,” bringing everyone to tears, especially Brandy and Cheryl. The footage shows Brandy tenderly grabbing Cheryl and giving her a long kiss on the cheek, radiating love and perhaps some remorse for how Cheryl was treated in the past. As recently as 2020, Brandy mentioned talks about a Moesha reboot, but until that happens, fans will continue to enjoy the reruns on Netflix.
Cheryl has kept grinding in the industry and finally landed her dream role as Barbara Howard on “Abbott Elementary.” She stars alongside fan favorites like Reggie Hayes and Tyler James Williams, whom we’ve discussed in previous videos linked in the description box. In July 2022, Cheryl and Vincent celebrated their 17th wedding anniversary, and Cheryl finally received her long-awaited recognition with her first Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. We’ll be watching the ceremony on September 12th, hoping to see Cheryl walk across the stage to accept the trophy she rightfully deserves. She told the LA Times, “Everything I did was the right thing to do then, and they’re noticing it now.” Thank you.