Endless Love: All About Diana Ross's 5 Children
Evan Ross, Diana Ross and Tracee Ellis Ross
Diana Ross is a pop culture icon, music legend and Oscar-nominated actress, but to her children, she’s just mom—and they all have delightful stories about the unique privilege of being raised by Miss Ross.
"Her whole thing is love," her youngest child, son Evan Ross, told People in January 2023. "My mom doesn't do things for any other reason other than love."
Tracee Ellis Ross, meanwhile, has said that she often got caught stealing clothes from her mother’s closet—unsurprising when your mom’s closet is as fabulous as Diana’s surely is. “I call it shopping, and to this day whenever I go over to my mom’s I sometimes look at my brother Evan, and I’m like, ‘Should we go shopping?’ Tracee recalled to W magazine in 2017. “And I will ask if I can take something and she always says, ‘No.’ My mom will say ‘no’ often. She will give me anything, give us anything off of her back, but sometimes she’s like, ‘For God’s sakes, leave my mirror alone!’”
Occasionally, however, the legend relents. “Leaving for college there was a rug, this beautiful kilim rug, that I wanted that was under our breakfast table. I asked if I could take it for college and my mom was like, ‘No, it’s under the breakfast table. You cannot take it,’” Tracee remembered. “And the car was going down the driveway and my mom comes running out. I don’t know how she got it from under the table so fast, but she came running out barefoot with the rug. She was like, ‘Take it! Take the rug! I love you! Go off to college with the rug!’ It’s a perfect example of my mother. That’s not the Diana Ross people know. That’s my mommy.”
Keep reading for a complete guide to Diana Ross’ children.
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How many children does Diana Ross have?
Diana Ross has five kids: Rhonda (born in 1971), Tracee (born in 1972), Chudney (born in 1975), Ross (born in 1987), and Evan (born in 1988).
Who are the fathers of Diana Ross’ children?
Berry Gordy
Diana Ross shares her eldest child, daughter Rhonda, with Motown founder Berry Gordy, whom she began dating in 1965. Ross and the Supremes signed with the Motown record label in 1961. After Ross left the group in 1970, Gordy continued working with Ross as she began her acting career, producing her Billie Holiday biopic, Lady Sings the Blues.
"It's very clear why I fell in love with Diana," Gordy told Vanity Fair in 2008. "She was my star, and she came from the bottom up. With her it was not only fun, it was just like heaven working with her because she would surpass anything … and she always kept her self-esteem. She always told me, 'If you think it, I can do it.' And she did."
Gordy and Ross split in 1971, but they continued their professional relationship in both music and film. Gordy directed Ross in 1975’s Mahogany, and Ross continued releasing albums on Motown throughout the 1970s.
Robert Ellis Silberstein
Diana Ross shares daughters Tracee and Chudney Ross with Robert Ellis Silberstein, whom she wed in January 1971 when she was two months pregnant with Rhonda. Silberstein raised Rhonda, who was born in August 1971, as his own daughter. Like Gordy, Silberstein works in the music industry and managed Ross in the 1970s. His other past clients include Meat Loaf, Chaka Khan, and the Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood.
Arne Naess Jr.
After her split from Robert Ellis Silberstein, Diana Ross moved on with Norwegian shipping magnate Arne Naess Jr. The duo tied the knot in 1985 and went on to welcome sons Ross Arne and Evan. Ross and Naess divorced in 2000. Naess died in a rock climbing accident in South Africa in 2004 when he was 66.
Who are Diana Ross’ kids?
Rhonda Ross Kendrick (b. Aug. 14, 1971)
Rhonda Ross Kendrick is the eldest child of Diana Ross. Her biological father is Berry Gordy, but she was raised by Ross’ first husband, Robert Ellis Silberstein. Rhonda didn’t know Silberstein wasn’t her biological father until she was 13, but she knew Gordy as an “uncle” throughout her youth.
Like her mother, Rhonda is a musician and actress. She released a jazz album with her husband, Rodney Kendrick, in 2004, and followed that up with In Case You Didn’t Know in 2016. She was nominated for a Daytime Emmy in 1998 for her work on the soap opera Another World and appeared alongside sister Tracee in a 2000 episode of Girlfriends.
Rhonda and husband welcomed son Raif-Henok Emmanuel in 2009.
Tracee Ellis Ross (b. Oct. 29, 1972)
Tracee Ellis Ross is the eldest daughter of Diana Ross and her first husband, Robert Ellis Silberstein. Tracee also followed in her mom’s footsteps by becoming an actress. Her breakout role came in the sitcom Girlfriends, which ran from 2000 to 2008. From 2014 to 2022, she played Rainbow Johnson on the ABC sitcom Black-ish; she also appeared in the spinoffs Grown-ish and Mixed-ish. Her work on Black-ish earned her five Emmy nominations. In 2019, Tracee launched a line of natural hair products called Pattern Beauty.
Tracee has never had children or been married. In a 2021 interview with Marie Claire, she said she once dreamed of having a large family, but she’s happy with the way her life has turned out. “Our society spoon-feeds it to you. I used to put myself to sleep dreaming of my wedding,” she told the outlet. “And I would still love all of that, but what am I going to do, just sit around waiting? Shut up. I’ve got so many things to do.”
Chudney Ross (b. Nov. 4, 1975)
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Chudney Ross is the youngest daughter of Diana Ross and Robert Ellis Silberstein. After graduating from Georgetown University, Chudney briefly dabbled in the entertainment industry, working as a production assistant on 2003’s Fame reality series and as a producer on the TV series Mesmerized in 2004. In 2011, she founded a children’s bookstore in Los Angeles called Books and Cookies. The store’s physical location has since closed, but Books and Cookies still has an online presence and hosts birthday parties and other events in the L.A. area.
Chudney married Joshua Faulkner in June 2015. They welcomed daughters Callaway and Everlee in 2012 and 2019, respectively.
Ross Arne Naess (b. Oct. 7, 1987)
Diana Ross welcomed her first son, Ross Arne Naess, with second husband Arne Naess Jr. He owns The Hideaway restaurant and Warwick club in Los Angeles.
Ross married longtime girlfriend Kimberly Ryan in 2016 in a ceremony officiated by his mother. The duo welcomed sons Leif and Indigo in 2016 and 2017, respectively.
Evan Ross (b. Aug. 16, 1988)
Diana Ross’ youngest child, son Evan Ross, has also worked as a musician and actor, appearing in The United States vs. Billie Holiday, A Snowy Day in Oakland and both parts of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay. He also starred in the 90210 reboot from 2010 to 2011 and appeared on the music-focused Fox drama Star from 2017 to 2019.
Evan married Ashlee Simpson on Aug. 30, 2014. The couple welcomed daughter Jagger in 2015 and son Ziggy in 2020.
Related: The Most Powerful Diana Ross Playlist
How old are Diana Ross’ kids?
Diana Ross’ eldest child, daughter Rhonda Ross Kendrick, celebrated her 52nd birthday in August 2023. Tracee Ellis Ross turned 51 in October 2023, while Chudney Ross celebrated her 48th birthday one month later. Diana’s eldest son, Ross Arne Naess, turned 36 in October 2023. Her youngest child, son Evan Ross, celebrated his 35th birthday in August 2023.
Are any of Diana Ross’ kids actors or musicians?
Three of Diana Ross’ five children have followed her into careers in the entertainment industry. Rhonda is a musician and actress, making her screen debut in 1985’s The Last Dragon. She went on to release two albums and appear in Cosby, Another World and The Temptations. Tracee is also an actress, starting her career in 1996 with the movie Far Harbor before landing lead roles on the sitcoms Girlfriends and Black-ish. Diana’s youngest son, Evan, is also an actor, having starred in ATL, According to Greta, Wicked City and more.
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