Last month, Sheryl Lee Ralph may have made history in numerous ways after winning an Emmy for “Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series” in ABC’s hit show “Abbott Elementary,” but the celebrations are far from over.
On Oct. 8, Ralph’s son Etienne Maurice took to his Instagram account to surprise the actress with a T-shirt that featured a design of her Emmy look and a quote from her powerful speech, “This is what believing looks like.”
The recording starts off with the filmmaker asking his mother if she was home. While answering the phone, Ralph said, “Can I help you?” Maurice responded, “Mommy, are you at home?”
The 65-year-old said “yes,” and Maurice explained that he had a surprise for her and was planning on dropping it off. He said, “I got a surprise for you…I will be there in 15 minutes.”
Further in the video, Maurice explained to his followers what the surprise was. He said, “So I got this shirt designed for my mom after winning her Emmy and I’m about to go show her.”
As Maurice walked into Ralph’s home, the “Moesha” star immediately questioned her son about why he was filming what she thought was a causal moment. She said, “Why are we on camera?” Following her remarks, Maurice handed her the shirt. As Ralph looked at the T-shirt, her eyes began tearing up. Maurice responded by saying, “Don’t cry, mommy.”
Toward the end of the video, Maurice embraced his mother and asked her if she liked the gift. Ralph said, while laughing, “You just got it?” Maurice replied, “Yes, I just got it printed. That’s a sample.” The clip wrapped with Ralph admiring the shirt and saying, “wow.”
In addition to the post, Maurice expressed in the caption how the recent recognition for Ralph, who has been in the entertainment industry for 50 years, inspired people to believe in themselves.
He wrote, “Dear Mommy, you are appreciated and celebrated. Thank you for reminding us to believe. What do you think of the shirt yall?”
Following the upload, Ralph praised her son for the kind gesture. She said, “@walkgoodetienne Son you are the best! I know I didn’t waste my money on your education. Wow you all! We see all the comments. You can purchase your BELIEVE T-SHIRT with the LINK IN MY BIO.”
As fans viewed the video, many mentioned how emotional they got after Ralph received her gift.
“Not you having us crying.”
“Okay, we’re definitely crying. This is absolutely beautiful.”
“This is so sweet. Why am I crying too.”
“Who cutting onions in here?”
“Why y’all always got me tearing up man?!”
This isn’t the first time Ralph received gifts for her Emmy win. Last month, Ralph was given floral arrangements from Oprah, Beyoncé and Kid Cudi.
