Velvet Celebrity Digest

Fresh star stories with a cool online feel.

One of the standout aspects of "Black-ish" was its phenomenal cast. Led by Anthony Anderson and the dazzling Tracee Ellis Ross, the show was in great company, and the talent exuded from the screen. Tracee, as many know, is the daughter of dynamite performer Diana Ross, and her childhood was intertwined with the entertainment industry in a way that many only ever dream of. While on set with Tracee, Allen Maldonado and the cast of "Black-ish" were catching up on their holiday plans when the leading lady started sharing details of Christmases past. In our interview, Maldonado shared Tracee's story, telling us that her childhood path crossed with some of the biggest names in the industry.

"I finished telling my Charlie Brown Christmas, and then Tracee begins to talk about her Christmas and how Michael Jackson woke her up out of bed, and then she goes downstairs and Stevie Wonder's singing, playing the piano," Maldonado told us. "We were all [mind-blown] because this is regular life to her."

Doubling down that Tracee was in no way bragging — but simply retelling her experiences — Maldonado shared that such a story was the star's truth. "That was beautiful, and also hilarious and profound to me, and one of my most memorable moments," he said.