To Avoid Toxic Masculinity, Actress Tracee Ellis Ross Dates Younger Men

During an intimate conversation with Michelle Obama and her brother Craig Robinson’s “The Light Podcast”, ‘Black-ish’ star Tracee Ellis Ross didn’t mince words. She candidly revealed why she often dates younger men, and spoiler alert, it’s not about chasing youth or clout. It’s about dodging the deep-rooted toxicity she’s encountered among men her own age. “But a lot of men my age are steeped in a toxic masculinity and have been raised in a culture where there is a particular way that a relationship looks,” Ross said. “Anything that starts to smell of that, for me… I did enough of it where I was controlled and felt like I was a possession—or a prize. And I have no interest in it. I will not do it again. I’m sorry. No.”

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For Ross, the issue goes far beyond awkward first dates or stale relationship dynamics. It’s about liberation. It’s about refusing to be another casualty of a system that tells women they should shrink to fit into a man’s life. The Emmy-nominated actress, who has always exuded confidence and independence, admits she’s had to fight hard to maintain her autonomy in past relationships. “I’m not going to participate in relationships where I’m expected to bend, break, or babysit,” she said. She likened some past relationships to feeling like she was being “possessed”, treated not as a person but as a “prize” or extension of someone else’s ego. And when you’ve spent decades building a career, a legacy, and a life of purpose, being reduced to a trophy is not just insulting, it’s infuriating.

Source: Yahoo