EXCLUSIVE: Tracee Ellis Ross Blasts Jay Leno Over 'Girlfriends' Awards Snub
Tracee Ellis Ross blasts Jay Leno over the 'Girlfriends' snub that left her questioning Hollywood.
Sept. 4 2026, Published 7:30 a.m. ET
Tracee Ellis Ross seemed to suggest racism may be to blame for her and her Girlfriends co-stars getting snubbed by Jay Leno's Tonight Show during the sitcom's heyday, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
During an appearance on Trevor Noah's What Now? podcast, Diana Ross' daughter said: "I remember watching Girlfriends going, 'The comedy, the situation, the elements of the story, what is being defined here.' That, to me, was revolutionary, but it was never credited with the revolution, which was weird to me."
Tracee Recalls Being Snubbed by Hollywood
Jay Leno's 'Tonight Show' declined to book Tracee Ellis Ross during 'Girlfriends.'
She alleged that she and castmates Golden Brooks, Persia White and Jill Marie Jones were ostracized by the entertainment industry.
"No Tonight Show, no David Letterman, no Emmys. Had never been to the Emmys," Tracee, 53, tells Noah.
"As a matter of fact, I have a story. It was Jay Leno. And I had Girlfriends, and the comment was, 'We love Tracee. Call us when she gets something,'" she recalled.
"I was like, I remember thinking, 'Get what? What else do you have to get?' I don't know. And it just was... 'We love her,' but it was not considered."
Tracee Questions Hollywood's Double Standard
Tony Shalhoub appeared on Leno despite 'Monk' reportedly having fewer viewers than 'Girlfriends.'
She also said performers on less popular shows seemed to have no problem getting airtime with Leno.
"I remember, specifically, the show Monk. Do you remember that show with Tony Shalhoub? That show had a quarter of our viewership. A quarter of our viewership," Tracee argued.
"And I remember seeing him on the show, and I was so confused. And I was like, 'I don't understand. Is it viewership?'
"And the only thing you can boil it down to, you're like, 'Is it just racism?' I'm not sure how to — how do you categorize it? I don't know what it is."
'Girlfriends' Earned Awards Recognition
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Golden Brooks, Persia White and Jill Marie Jones starred alongside Ross in 'Girlfriends.'
Girlfriends, which followed a group of four Black female friends dealing with careers, marriage, friendship and dating, ran for eight seasons from 2000 to 2008 on UPN and The CW.
It notched 29 NAACP Image Award nods and one Emmy nomination for outstanding cinematography for a multi-camera series.
Tracee did eventually make it to the Emmys in 2016 following the first of her five lead actress nominations for ABC's Black-ish.
