Who is Sheryl Lee Ralph's husband? Super Bowl LVII performer found 'great friend' in Philly senator
GLENDALE, ARIZONA: Emmy award-winner Sheryl Lee Ralph will be performing at the Super Bowl LVII on Tuesday, February 13. The 'Abbott Elementary' star will be singing 'Lift Every Voice and Sing' before the official pre-game kickoff.
Ralph was among one of three musicians the NFL announced this week will open for the big game. Country singer Chris Stapleton is slated to sing the national anthem, while twelve-time Grammy winner Babyface will be singing “America the Beautiful.” Last September, Rihanna announced she will be this year's Super Bowl LVII halftime performer. Ralph also took to her Instagram writing, “Come on now. Don’t you ever give up on you baby!” before making the big announcement.
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Ralph, who portrays a Philly-bred school teacher on the hit sitcom 'Abbott Elementary', is in fact more rooted to the show's character in real life after she married Pennsylvania Senator Vincent Hughes. However, before 'A Piece Of The Action' actress was married to Hughes, she was married to Eric Maurice for 11 years.
Ralph and Maurice tied the knot in 1990, but their marriage soon fell apart over a decade and finalized their divorce in 2001. Despite being torn apart from her previous marriage the singer was once again able to seek love in her current husband Hughes.
Who is Vincent Hughes?
Since November 1994, Hughes has represented the 7th Senatorial district in Pennsylvania. Since 2011, he also served as the Democratic Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Initially, the Pennsylvania senator and the Connecticut native met through a mutual friend. Their friendship soon escalated into love and the pair got married in 2005. At the time of their blooming love, both couples were divorced and had two children from their previous marriages.
Charity begins at home
Hughes has been a prominent supporter of providing health insurance to the uninsured along with increasing wages for low-income workers. He has raised over $1 million in scholarship money for underserved students to avail of education and attend college. The state senator has also started an impressive $60 million School and Community Anti-Violence Fund to provide support to schools and communities to reduce violence. Aside from charity funding he also continues to work toward reforming the criminal justice system in Pennsylvania, according to his website.
He established the First Chance Fund in an effort to help children with confined parents in 2017. "We want to make sure those children are not left out," Hughes said, according to ABC 27. "They need to have programming. They need to have support." Ralph and Hughes continue to stay in a happy union and are strong supporters of each other's work. "We believe in each other's mission and each other's work, and we're both very focused on our children and our family," Hughes told Essence in 2020. "I think that really is the foundation. I like what Sheryl's about." Ralph also seconded Hughes' sentiment, saying, "I have a great friend and a great partner; somebody that I absolutely trust."