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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 01: Actress Sheryl Lee Ralph attends the 35th Annual DIVAS Simply Singing! Anniversary Gala at the Taglyan Complex on November 01, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Amanda Edwards/Getty Images) Getty Images On November 1st, Emmy Award-winning actress, advocate, and activist Sheryl Lee Ralph, alongside her nonprofit organization, The DIVA Foundation, presented the 35th Anniversary Gala and live taping of DIVAS Simply Singing! at the Taglyan Complex in Hollywood, California, which aims to raise awareness about important health issues, including HIV/AIDS, among Hollywood’s most glamorous stars like Jennifer Hudson, Lisa Ann Walter, Andra Day, and Loretta Devine. The DIVA Foundation’s signature fundraising event, DIVAS Simply Singing! gala is a prestigious annual benefit concert that raises awareness and funds for programs that promote the prevention of HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening health conditions. The gala has a rich 35-year history, making it the longest-running consecutive HIV/AIDS and Health Awareness benefit concert in the United States. William Stanford Davis, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Lisa Ann Walter and Larry Owens at the 35th Anniversary Gala of DIVAS Simply Singing held at the Taglyan Complex on November 01, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Earl Gibson III/Deadline via Getty Images) Deadline via Getty Images For over four decades, Sheryl Lee Ralph has used her voice to uplift and educate audiences while helping to eradicate the stigma around HIV that persists to this day. The 2025 gala is made possible by the generous support of presenting sponsor Gilead Sciences, a longtime partner and champion of The DIVA Foundation’s mission to uplift, educate, and empower. “We’re really excited to partner with Sheryl and the DIVA Foundation to celebrate the 35th anniversary of DIVAS Simply Singing. For over three decades, this gala has been a powerful platform for raising health awareness while honoring lives impacted by HIV. Sheryl’s ability to use storytelling and the arts to educate and uplift communities is incredible – and really resonates with Gilead’s mission to end the HIV epidemic for everyone, everywhere,” shared in a statement via email from Shreya Jani, Senior Vice-President of Public Affairs, Gilead Sciences. Jani continues, “For us, this partnership is about more than just science. We know innovation only matters if it reaches the people who need it most. That’s why we’re working together to explore what happens when science and art come together—connecting the history of HIV with the breakthroughs in treatment and prevention, and imagining a future where stigma is gone and access to care is the norm. This moment in the fight against HIV is pivotal - we’re at a point where we can start to envision a world where people live without fear of the virus. That’s the kind of impact we’re striving for—and it’s why this partnership means so much. For us, this partnership is about more than just science. We know innovation only matters if it reaches the people who need it most. That’s why we’re working together to explore what happens when science and art come together—connecting the history of HIV with the breakthroughs in treatment and prevention, and imagining a future where stigma is gone and access to care is the norm.” MORE FOR YOU Sheryl Lee Ralph, Debra Fraser-Howze and Deborah Telman at the 35th Anniversary Gala of DIVAS Simply Singing held at the Taglyan Complex on November 01, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Earl Gibson III/Deadline via Getty Images) Deadline via Getty Images Since its inception in 1990, The DIVA Foundation has raised over $5.5M from corporations and individuals to deliver community-based programs targeting the most at-risk for poor health outcomes, including people living with HIV/AIDS and those left even more vulnerable by comorbidities. “I never, ever imagined that I would be doing this 35 years. I honestly would have thought there was a cure. I would have thought that there was something else for us, that people's minds were more developed, in thinking about how they accept others who are not like them,” Ralph says to me via our Zoom interview. “Your health is your greatest wealth. And too many of us don't pay attention till it is gone. The longer you can stay healthy, the better you can survive the ups and downs of America, of life, and of your community. We need strong, healthy people to carry on.” Sheryl Lee Ralph, James Pickens and Gina Taylor-Pickens at the 35th Anniversary Gala of DIVAS Simply Singing held at the Taglyan Complex on November 01, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Earl Gibson III/Deadline via Getty Images) Deadline via Getty Images When it comes to hosting a massive gala in Hollywood, consistently, to promote health awareness, Ralph believes it’s essential to work with truly compassionate individuals. “Believe it or not, I always tell people when I'm asking them to invite people to the event. Invite singers. Please only invite people who have a good heart. Please only invite people who have something to give and are willing to share it. I have found in the past that if an artist's attitude is bigger than their hairstyle, we just don't have room for it,” she states. Ralph continues, “We stand as a beacon of hope. We stand, a basket of gratitude. You know, the reason we've been able to do this for 35 years, through all the ups and downs, is that we have been determined to be here. We have been chosen to tell people of their worthiness. We have been determined to shed light for others, to tell stories that were there before, that people tried to silence. I have never been dependent upon anything except the kindness of others. That is the only thing that has kept me moving forward. This gala represents love. We are a divinely inspired, victoriously aware Foundation. We are DIVA. We are audacious, we are awesome.” Ralph’s activism inspires not only people who are passionate about advocating for health autonomy and care but also encourages pivotal figures in Hollywood to get involved. “It’s important for Hollywood to show up and advocate because of the influence, because of the platform. And you can't be afraid of your platform, if you have it and you want to use it for the greater good, that’s great,” she says. According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 40.8 million people were living with HIV at the end of 2024. DIVAS Simply Singing! aims to lower that number by emphasizing advocacy through artistic expression. Ralph is passionate about this cause due to her personal experience of losing most of her “Dreamgirls” creative cast to HIV/AIDS during the 1980s. “We lost 1/3 of our original creative company to aids on Dream Girls. And just like that, the world turned upside down, because you see, before HIV and AIDS, before fear, before stigma, before shame, before loss, there was life,” Ralph said to the audience during the gala. This year’s milestone event featured powerhouse performances by Emmy Award-winning actresses Jenifer Lewis and Devine, GRAMMY Award-winning artists Lalah Hathaway and Andra Day, GRAMMY-nominated country artist Mickey Guyton, legendary vocalist Freda Payne, and rising R&B artist India Shawn. Andra Day and Sheryl Lee Ralph at the 35th Anniversary Gala of DIVAS Simply Singing held at the Taglyan Complex on November 01, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Earl Gibson III/Deadline via Getty Images) Deadline via Getty Images Throughout the evening, the DIVA Foundation presented its DIVA Honors program, celebrating outstanding individuals whose contributions embody the organization’s mission of equity, wellness, and advocacy. This year’s distinguished honorees include Debra Fraser-Howze, honored with the Inaugural Visionary Award; Dr. Maya Green, honored with the Health Advocacy Award; Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr., Living Legends Award; and Lula Washington, recognized with the Artistic Activism Award for her impact in dance and cultural expression. The foundation made sure to spotlight pioneering advocates in the fight against HIV/AIDS: Sherri Lewis, Rae Lewis Thornton, Cathay Elliot, and Ciara Owens. Additionally, one of the night's performers, James Pickens Jr., presented a $10,000 donation to the Diva Foundation. As one of the honorees of the evening, Dr. Maya Green, founder and Chief Health and Equity Officer of Onyx Medical Wellness, and HIV specialist, is passionate about community healing and HIV care. Green highlights the symbiotic relationship between healthcare and entertainment, noting that entertainers like Shirley and Ralph use their platforms to raise awareness and advocate for underserved communities. She emphasizes the importance of self-advocacy and community support, sharing personal experiences to illustrate the challenges and significance of embracing one's greatness and purpose. “ It's part of healing. Healing starts in the heart. Healing starts in the head. Ralph has a huge voice, and it's called to be that way; those things set the atmosphere for how we move as culture,” she says to me in a Zoom interview. “The DIVA Foundation can move masses nationwide and globally, to invest and set the tone for them so they invest in our communities, which are overlooked and underserved.” She appreciates how Ralph is utilizing her influence and platform to make a difference and bring change to communities that need support and care. “I appreciate Ralph and the DIVA Foundation for what they are doing to stand out. I also appreciate that they know how to stand in community and stand up. Because a lot of times this kind of work isn't elevated, and I'm thankful for that, especially at a time like this, when funding and access to resources are dramatically less than they were even last year. You know, giving us the opportunities to make those connections now so that we can ensure that no one has to experience living with HIV/AIDS, going without care,” Green states. Editorial StandardsReprints & Permissions
