Sheryl Lee Ralph has an unconventional marriage, and it works for her. While the standard for marriage is living in the same household, this has never been the case for the actress and her husband, Vincent Hughes, who are in a long-distance marriage.
During an interview with PEOPLE, the Abbott Elementary actress explained why she has never lived with her partner.
“I’m very fortunate. The man that I am married to is Senator Vincent Hughes, seventh Senatorial district of Pennsylvania,” she says proudly. That said, “You fall in love with somebody and you realize he’s not leaving his career. He’s not leaving Philadelphia. I’m not leaving Hollywood.” And, she explains, “When you have children, it’s very difficult.”
The couple met in 2005 while the actress was starring in Thoroughly Modern Millie on Broadway. This was four years after Lee Ralph divorced her former husband, Eric Maurice, with whom she shares two now adult children: Etienne and Coco. While the governor and actress fell in love, the realities of their life meant they didn’t end up living under the same roof. However, they arranged to see one another twice a month and haven’t looked back since.
“Every two weeks we saw each other, and it has continued to work out well. When I go to see him, I love to see him. When it’s time to leave, ‘Bye-bye. See you soon.’ I’m telling you, life is good,” the 69-year-old said.
She added, “He has his own life. I have my own life. He has his own real career, I have my own real career. He has his light to stand in, I have my light to stand in. He is not looking at me thinking about status or this or that. He’s doing his thing. I get to do my thing.”
The couple has been fast-approaching for two decades of marriage, so their dynamic is working. In a recent interview at the 2024 Out100 Event, the award-winning actress said she plans to have a party to celebrate 20 years of love when the time comes.