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Tracee Ellis Ross shares struggles of dating and loneliness at 52 on Michelle Obama’s podcast (Photo: Getty Images)
Tracee Ellis Ross, known for her roles in Black-ish and Girlfriends, got candid in a recent interview with Michelle Obama and her brother on their podcast IMO.
She admitted that she grieved about being single and child-free.
Early in the discussion, she highlighted her place in what she called “one of the first generations of choice.”
She explained that women today have unprecedented agency over their lives. Prompted by Michelle Obama, Ross elaborated on how landmark decisions like Roe V. Wade have empowered women to prioritise their desires.
However, she noted that current efforts to limit access to reproductive rights reflect outdated generational thinking, which she believes complicates modern dating dynamics.
“I’m not married. I don’t have children… and I think I grieve that at times,” she said. Yet, she emphasised her commitment to not settling for the wrong partner.
“As much grief does surface for me around not having children and not having a partner… I still wouldn’t want the wrong partner. I am not interested in that; you have to make my life better, it can’t just be I’m in a relationship just to be in a relationship,” she added.
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The 52-year-old star discussed the difficulties of finding a meaningful connection, noting the societal pressures on women her age to have their lives “figured out.”
As a Black woman in Hollywood, Ross highlighted additional challenges, including navigating cultural expectations and stereotypes.
“There’s a cultural layer, finding someone who celebrates my Blackness and ambition,” she explained.
Despite her efforts, Ross admitted to moments of loneliness, particularly after some dates or when scrolling through social media filled with others’ coupled-up moments. “I’m whole on my own,” she clarified. “But there’s a human longing for someone to share life’s small joys with.”
She also shared her experiences dating younger men, appreciating their open-mindedness and fluidity around gender and identity.
“Many men my age carry a toxic masculinity, shaped by a culture with rigid ideas about relationships,” she said. “I’ve been in situations where I felt like a possession, and I’m done with that.”
She also went ahead and admitted to childhood dreams of a wedding but said, “I could’ve spent more time dreaming of my life’s bigness.”
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