Sheryl Lee Ralph Explains How Her Bicoastal Marriage Works

Love knows no boundaries -- even distance! Sheryl Lee Ralph opens up about her bicoastal marriage to Pennsylvania State Senator Vincent Hughes.

Ralph gives an interview with AARP The Magazine for their August/September 2023 issue, and is candid about her career, her work on Abbott Elementary and her long-distance relationship to the man she's been married to for nearly two decades.

While her 66-year-old husband resides in Pennsylvania, Ralph lives and works in California, and the 66-year-old actress explains how they make their romance work.

"You have to have an incredible amount of trust in that other person," Ralph shares. "We spend a lot of time talking to each other. But if he doesn’t see me every two weeks, he gets a little nervous."

While their situation is unique, Ralph says that it works for them, and she marveles at how close they are, sharing, "I married the man who has become my best friend."

The pair have not always lived on opposite sides of the country, however. In fact, they lived under one roof "during the pandemic."

"We were together 24/7, and it was absolutely great," she notes. "I thought, 'Wow, I like this man.'"

Knowing they can still enjoy each other's company even in close quarters after years of living geographically separate lives, Ralph says they do hope and plan to one day live together full time at some point in the future.

"What do they say? People make plans, but God has the plan. We’ll just have to see," Ralph shares.

The celebrated actress also opens up about her two adult children -- son Etienne Maurice and daughter Ivy-Victoria "Coco" Maurice -- who she shares with ex-husband Eric Maurice.

"Children are my greatest gift. I knew I was going to be somebody’s mother," Ralph says. "When I met their father, my first husband, I could see my children just as clearly as they are in life right now, and I said, 'Oh, I know the assignment right here.'"

"We got married and had our son, Etienne, and our daughter, Coco. The marriage lasted almost 10 years," she recalls. "If I had a regret in life, it would be that I didn’t have more children. But I have two beautiful children."

Check out Ralph's full interview in AARP The Magazine's August/September 2023 issue, available now.

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