Daytime Emmys issues apology for misidentifying actress Marguerite Ray during in memoriam segment
NATAS officials apologized on Twitter after using a photo of Veronica Redd during Ray's "In Memoriam" tribute.
After a serious oversight, The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences issued an official apology on Saturday for misidentifying Marguerite Ray, the actress known for her longtime role on The Young and the Restless, who died in November 2020.
The always-heartfelt “In Memoriam” segments are staples at award shows, paying tribute to those in entertainment who have died since their previous airing. The 2021 Daytime Emmys aired on Friday and had an unfortunate mishap during its “In Memoriam” section: While celebrating the memory of Ray, the ceremony featured a picture of a completely different actress, Veronica Redd, who is still very much alive.
The Daytime Emmys took to Twitter Saturday afternoon to clear up the snafu, acknowledging their error and revealing they plan on re-editing the segment for future digital releases.
The three-part tweet thread that read: “During last night’s #DaytimeEmmys telecast, the In Memoriam segment included an incorrect picture in our remembrance of the late Y&R actress Marguerite Ray. We deeply regret this error and intend to re-edit the sequence for subsequent digital releases once a replacement image can be appropriately licensed.”
In the final post of the three, National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences officials wrote an official formal apology to the Ray family and to Redd. “We sincerely apologize to the Ray family — as well as to Veronica Redd, whose image was inadvertently used instead. Each of these Daytime icons deserved better from our Academy.”
Ray was on The Young & The Restless for about a decade, entertaining audiences from 1980 to 1990 as Mamie Johnson, the long-running CBS soap opera’s first Black series regular character. When Ray departed the series, Redd took over the role. Ray passed away in November at the age of 89.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Ray’s professional acting career spanned about 50 years. She is also known for her notable role opposite late comic legend Redd Foxx as Evelyn Lewis in the Sanford and Son sequel, Sanford, which ran for two seasons.
She also appeared in the hit drama Dynasty for three episodes in 1989 as Jane Matthews, and on classic TV shows like Quincy M.E., The Rockford Files and Ironside.
“Ray is survived by her sister, Jacqueline (James) Jackson, sister-in-law Cynthia Ray and a host of nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews,” per The Hollywood Reporter.
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