A "famous TV judge" sexually assaulted Sheryl Lee Ralph in front of many witnesses who turned a blind eye to the incident, this according to the Abbott Elementary star herself. Per Variety, the information came up during an interview on the podcast The Way Up With Angela Lee. Ralph shared some details about the story, claiming that she was at a business event for an unspecified network when the alleged incident happened. She does not name the celebrity judge nor the year in which this took place, making it difficult to determine who exactly Ralph is speaking of.
“I’m at a very public place," Ralph recalled. "I was suited. I had my suit on. I was handling my business for the television show I was on at that time. He and I were on the same network... This man walked in, grabbed me by the back of my neck, turned me around and rammed his nasty ass tongue down my throat. And everybody at the network saw it.”
At the time, Ralph says she was planning to report the attack, and phoned then-mayor of New Orleans, Marc Morial, to explain what happened. For his part, Morial is said to have been supportive of Ralph, offering to "send the police there right now." However, Ralph says network executives stepped in at that point and talked her out of going public because of the "bad press" that would follow.
“Somebody on the network tapped me on the shoulder saying, ‘Please don’t,'” Ralph said, further recalling being told, "'It’s not that bad is it? Please don’t say anything. We don’t need the bad press. It’s a brand new show. Yours is a new show … It wasn’t so bad after all, was it?'"
She emphasizes that "that's the kind of stuff that happens" when women speak up, which is why so many remain silent. By sharing her story now, Ralph says she hopes this will help inspire other women to stand up for themselves if they ever find themselves in a similar situation.
“Speak up, tell your truth, do not carry the burden of the pain … especially if you feel like it’s something you can’t work through," Ralph said.
Whoever Allegedly Assaulted Sheryl Lee Ralph Is NOT Greg Mathis
Without further details, it can only be speculated as to who it was that allegedly assaulted Ralph. However, fans of Judge Mathis need not be concerned that it was Greg Mathis, who will continue on hosting his own new courtroom program following the recent cancelation of his show. Ralph made it clear that the judge, who was also recently honored with his own Hollywood Walk of Fame star, is not the culprit.
"I love him. He’s a great man,” Ralph said of Mathis. “Not him at all. He’s a great man. This was another one.”