"It’s giving open marriage" — Internet reacts to Sheryl Lee Ralph saying she and her husband have never lived together

74th Primetime Emmy Awards Performers Nominee Reception - Source: Getty
Sheryl Lee Ralph and Vincent Hughes at the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards Performers Nominee Reception in Los Angeles, California. (Image via Getty)

Actress Sheryl Lee Ralph's marriage is being dissected online after she revealed that she and her husband, Pennsylvania state Sen. Vincent Hughes, don't live together.

During an interview with People Magazine, the Abbott Elementary star revealed that she feels “fortunate” for her union with Hughes, noting that they “live in separate places.”

“The man that I am married to, Sen. Vincent Hughes, 7th Senatorial District of [Pennsylvania] ... he has his own life,” she said. “I have my own life.”

The news has since broken out on X, and users are weighing in with their two cents. While some claim their marriage is too unconventional, others have defended them, noting that it may be what works best for them. Here's how one person reacted, for example:

"It’s giving open marriage."

The comments didn't end there, as scores online were visibly teeming with opinions:

"This is what works for their marriage. Why do yall care so much in the comments?" one user asked.
"I love her but she's not saying anything. Marriage is meant to be a union and everything that comes with it which includes living under the same roof. Please don't glorify this as a marriage standard," someone else opined.
"i’m sorry but the ideal marriage for me is two individuals living completely separate and fulfilling lives but still coming together to maximize their joint slay," yet another chimed in.
"If it works for them, who is anybody to disagree. Congrats to them on 20 years of marriage," one more added.

The chatter didn't end there, as users were visibly conflicted upon learning of how Sheryl Lee Ralph makes her marriage last:

"Usually a guy is only comfortable with this dynamic when he has other women," one user posited.
"Separate lives, united hearts. Sheryl and Vincent just proved that love isn't about sharing a zip code, it's about respecting each other's dreams. Some marriages suffocate, theirs BREATHES. Iconic," another defended.
"I read in a book it’s way better this way so I understand her energy but some people don’t but baby let me tell you I really believe it’s better this way…" yet another asserted.
"This isn’t a marriage; it’s just a piece of paper and casual hookups," another dissenting voice claimed.

Users online were seemingly divided over the state of Sheryl Lee Ralph's marriage with her husband.


Sheryl Lee Ralph spills the tea on how she makes her marriage work

Sheryl Lee Ralph and her husband, Vincent Hughes, first met in 2005, four years after the former parted ways with her first husband and father of her two children. They worked on Thoroughly Modern Millie on Broadway together, and things took off from there.

“You fall in love with somebody and you realize he's not leaving his career. He's not leaving Philadelphia. I'm not leaving Hollywood," she said of living separately. "When you have children, it’s very difficult."

As for how their arrangement works, the actress went on:

"Every two weeks we saw each other, and it has continued to work out well. When I go to see him, I love to see him. When it’s time to leave, ‘Bye-bye. See you soon.’ I’m telling you, life is good.” She went on, "He has his own real career, I have my own real career. He has his light to stand in, I have my light to stand in. He is not looking at me thinking about status or this or that. He's doing his thing. I get to do my thing."

The unconventional couple will celebrate two decades of marriage this July, while "some people can't even get through two," Sheryl Lee Ralph adds. "So it's all good. It is all good."


As for how she makes her marriage work, Sheryl Lee Ralph has one word of advice: communicate :

"I’ve evolved into [saying], ‘Let’s talk about it.’ If you sit in problems, you get anxious and depressed, and all the juiciness in life starts to dry up. I can’t have that because all of that will mess with my good looks!”

Do you think her marriage is unconventional? Sound off in the comments section.

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Edited by Yesha Srivastava
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