Tracee Ellis Ross Questions Whether Racism Kept ‘Girlfriends’ Off Jay Leno’s Show

Tracee Ellis Ross is reflecting on what she believes may have been a pattern of racial bias in Hollywood during the years she starred in the hit sitcom “Girlfriends.”

During a recent appearance on Trevor Noah’s “What Now?” podcast, Ross recalled that she and her co-stars—Golden Brooks, Persia White and Jill Marie Jones—were largely overlooked by major television platforms despite the show’s popularity.

Ross said “Girlfriends” was never invited to appear on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” or “The Late Show with David Letterman.” She also noted that she had never attended the Emmy Awards during the show’s eight-season run.

Ross specifically remembered being told that Leno’s show was interested in her, but only under certain circumstances.

“We love Tracee. Call us when she gets something,” she recalled being told.

The comment left Ross confused.

“I was like, I remember thinking, ‘Get what? What else do you have to get?’” she said.

Ross also questioned why other television stars were invited to Leno’s show when their programs had smaller audiences. She pointed to “Monk,” the crime comedy-drama starring Tony Shalhoub, as an example.

“I remember seeing him on the show and I was so confused,” Ross said, recalling that she believed “Girlfriends” had significantly more viewers.

That experience led Ross to question whether racism was a factor.

“And the only thing you can boil it down to, you’re like, ‘Is it just racism?’” she said. “I’m not sure how to—how do you categorize it? I don’t know what it is.”

“Girlfriends,” created by Mara Brock Akil, premiered in 2000 and ran for eight seasons through 2008. The series centered on four Black women navigating friendship, relationships, careers and family.

Ross played Joan Clayton, a successful lawyer and one of the show’s central characters. The series became an important representation of Black women on network television and received 29 NAACP Image Award nominations.

Despite its success, the show received only one Emmy nomination, for outstanding cinematography for a multi-camera series.

Ross said her first experience attending the Emmys came years later, when “Black-ish”—the ABC sitcom in which she played Rainbow Johnson—received nominations.

Her comments have renewed discussion about how successful Black television shows and performers were treated by the entertainment industry, particularly during the era when “Girlfriends” was at the height of its popularity.

Ross did not claim to have definitive proof that racism was behind the decisions. Instead, she described an experience that left her questioning why the show's success did not translate into the same level of recognition and access enjoyed by stars from other programs.