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Diana Ross is a successful group and solo vocalist.
She rose to fame with The Supremes.
She’s been married twice and had five children.
Smokey Robinson recently claimed he had an affair with her.
Diana Ross is an icon by any measure. The stunning singer, 79, saw her career skyrocket as a vocalist with The Supremes before branching off into a solo career that has been nothing short of epic. Her first number one solo single, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” is an instantly recognizable classic, and she’s even co-hosted the Academy Awards! In 1974, she broke barriers by becoming the first African-American woman to co-host the ceremony, alongside John Huston and Burt Reynolds.
Offstage, the glamorous goddess had a fulfilling family life. She welcomed five children across two marriages (including daughter Tracee Ellis Ross), and is also a stepmother to three. In April of 2023, fellow Motown legend Smokey Robinson revealed an alleged affair with Diana, sparking renewed interest in her personal life.
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Here’s what to know about Diana’s most important intimate relationships, including her two marriages.
Robert Ellis Silberstein
Diana and her first husband, Robert (Shutterstock)
Diana was two months pregnant with a child she conceived with Motown bigshot Berry Gordy when she decided to marry music exec Robert Ellis Silberstein in January of 1971. Rhonda Suzanne Silberstein was born the following August, and Robert raised her as his own. They subsequently welcomed two more daughters into their family, including Tracy Joy Silberstein (better known to Blackish fans as actress Tracee Ellis Ross) in 1972 and Chudney Lane Silberstein, born three years later in 1975.
In a January 1976 issue of PEOPLE, Bob opened up about how their relationship began. “No one introduced us,” he told the magazine, and Diana reportedly like to joke that she “picked him up.” Ultimately, she says she met him while shopping for a gift for Berry at a shop in Los Angeles. There, she spotted Bob and asked for his help selecting the present. She found him to be, she related, “a rare thing, a gentleman who is young, alive and very handsome—all the fantasy things you think of in a husband.” She also sweetly shared that she knew they were a couple when he bought her red PJs to match his.
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And their relationship, despite being in the same business, remained personal. “I would never manage Diane,” he said, referring to her as close friends did. He added, “she’s been in the business a lot longer than I have and I respect her advice.”
They divorced in 1977 and remain friendly to this day.
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Arne Næss Jr.
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Diana next married Norwegian shipping magnate Arne Næss Jr in 1986. With her second marriage, she became a stepmother — Arne brought older children Katinka, Christoffer, and singer Leona Naess to the blended family. She also became a boy mom! The couple welcomed sons Ross Arne in 1987 and Evan Olav in 1988. But it wasn’t meant to be either, and they divorce in 2000 amid reports that Arne had fathered a child in Norway, per The Chicago Tribune in 2014.
Diana and her children in 2012. (Shutterstock)
In February of 2011, Diana told Oprah Winfrey during an appearance on her show that she considers Arne the love of her life. He died in a climbing accident in South Africa in 2004, with the singer reportedly remaining close with her three stepchildren after the tragedy.
Across children from the relationships, Diana now has eight grandchildren.
Smokey Robinson
Diana and Smokey at an event in 2013. (Shutterstock)
In April of 2023, Smokey Robinson revealed an alleged affair with Diana. “We were working together and it just happened. But it was beautiful. She’s a beautiful lady, and I love her right till today,” he told The Guardian in an interview. Smokey also revealed that he was married to Claudette Rogers Robinson at the time, and claimed the affair lasted a year.
“She’s one of my closest people,” the 83 year old Motown singer said. “She was young and trying to get her career together. I was trying to help her. I brought her to Motown, in fact. I wasn’t going after her and she wasn’t going after me. It just happened.”
Smokey also shared that it was Diana who nixed the year long relationship. “After we’d been seeing each other for a while, Diana said to me she couldn’t do that because she knew Claudette, and she knew I still loved my wife,” he explained. “And I did. I loved my wife very much.”
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