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I remember how we wondered if Diana Ross’s first born child Rhonda was Berry Gordy’s Child. And now we know she is.
*With all the attention surrounding “Motown The Musical,” which arrived in Los Angeles and had its opening night at The Pantages Theatre last Thursday, its probably no surprise the media is digging deep into the personal lives of its stars: Berry Gordy and Diana Ross. This is especially true since the production goes into detail about the love the two had for each other; a revelation that the public always suspected, but was never officially admitted to, until now.
Of course as the years went by, the public eventually put the puzzle together and surmised that the relationship, though undercover, had produced a love-child. But that too, for a long time, had been based on conjecture.
Until we saw her, that is.
Through the media, and many conversations in local hair salons and barber shops across America, we came to the conclusion that that chile was Berry Gordy’s! She was his mini-me!
But Rhonda Ross’ mother, Diana Ross, didn’t make the assumption easy…after all, she was actually married to Robert Ellis Silberstein, a Caucasian man, when she gave birth to Rhonda in 1971.
Little Rhonda didn’t actually learn her true heritage until she was about thirteen years old. She said the conversation began with questions any girl her age would have; but as you will hear in the video below, what made her mom sit her down and say, “Here’s the deal…” was prompted by the question “when will I start to grow? (Robert Ellis is over 6′ and Berry Gordy is 5′ 7″).
Today, Rhonda Ross has built an independent career as a jazz-spoken-word singer and Emmy-award nominated actress. She is married to pianist Rodney Kendrick and the couple have given proud grandparents Diana Ross and Berry Gordy two beautiful grandchildren. And while her style is her own and she feels no pressure to try and emulate her mother’s voice; she can’t deny she has inherited that million-dollar smile.
