Sheryl Lee Ralph

Sheryl Lee Ralph is a longtime favorite of ours and she brings to mind a funny story. Back in the 90’s when we gossiped for Star magazine we got a late night call from a security guard source who worked at an exclusive New York hotel. He was laughing as he said “Robert De Niro is here and he’s having a tantrum in the lobby because they won’t let him visit someone upstairs!” It seems this hotel was SO fancy they didn’t allow nighttime visitors to go upstairs unless the person they were visiting came to the lobby and escorted them up! De Niro was outraged and furious “Don’t you know who I am!” Security wouldn’t budge, and eventually DeNiro’s tryst-mate came down in a chic bathrobe to get him – and it turned out to be Sheryl Lee Ralph! (They costarred in the 1992 movie Mistress) When we printed this story, Deniro’s lawyer called to complain bitterly about the “fake” story and tried to get me fired, but didn’t sue. He also tried to get the security guard fired. A few years later we ran into Sheryl at an event and reminded her of that story– she laughed out loud and admitted – “Oh yes, that was me!”

Photo Credit: BACKGRID-USA