Tracee Ellis Ross Says “The Ship Has Sailed” When It Comes To ‘Girlfriends’ Reboot
Following possible news of a Girlfriends reboot, teased by Persia White who played Lynn on the hit UPN show, Tracee Ellis Ross has continued to debunk those rumors.
While speaking with VIBE recently, Ross who played Joan, spoke on the show that starred White, Golden Brooks, Jill Marie Jones and Reggie Hayes — and if it would be coming back.
“The cast has always wanted to do it, but I’ll be honest with you, the ship has sailed,” she said. “I don’t think it’s ever going to happen. I think it would be a miracle.”
Noting that she does keep up with the crew, she added, “We have a thread of me and the girls and we text all the time; we talk about it, but I think we’re all at different places in our lives and our careers now. I think there was a point 10 years ago when they [Girlfriends cast] came on Blackish and we were all game, but we couldn’t get the powers that be to get on board.”
The 51-year-old also shared that the cast has wanted to get back together on screen but due to ownership and other factors, it hasn’t been that simple to make that call.
“We’ve tried numerous times as a cast to make it happen, but unfortunately, we don’t own the rights to the show,” she explained. “We are not the producers. We are not Mara Brock Akil, CBS Paramount, or whoever the people are that own the show. Golden, Persia, Jill, Reggie, and I have been game; we’ve all talked about it — but I genuinely don’t think it’s ever going to happen at this point.”
Ross also acknowledged fans’ desire for the cult classic show to reboot, claiming that she, too, is “heartbroken” by its cancelation, but has since moved past it.
“The truth is, I think we have been broken-hearted in the past, but now we are past being broken-hearted,” she expressed. “We’re so happy that the audience still loves the show, and still wants it, but I don’t think it’s ever going to happen.”
Last month, Persia White took to Instagram to tease a possible reboot or other project connected to the hit sitcom after meeting with the show’s executive producer, Kelsey Grammer.
White shared a clip of herself and her husband walking around Paramount Pictures’ Los Angeles lot, showing where the cast used to film. She also shared that she had a great meeting with Grammer.
“Hello Girlfriends! Just got out of a meeting with KELSEY GRAMMER on the Paramount Pictures lot! Good things are brewing,” she said in the video. Ross also liked the video, which led many to believe that a reboot was on the way.
Revisit a clip of the cast of Girlfriends appearing on Blackish below.