Diana Ross has canceled a scheduled appearance as Godmother of the Royal Caribbean’s Star of the Seas due to “unforeseen circumstances.”
Diana Ross will no longer be coming out on the Royal Caribbean’s Star of the Seas showcase cruise.
While the beloved singer was scheduled to kick-off the three-day voyage on August 20—having been ordained as the ship’s “Godmother” in June—the cruise line confirmed she would no longer be appearing.
“We are disappointed that Diana Ross is unable to join us to be Godmother of Star of the Seas,” Royal Caribbean shared in a statement with E! News Aug. 13. “We look forward to announcing our new Godmother soon.”
A rep for Diana likewise confirmed her exit to People citing “unforeseen circumstances.”
The replacement for the 81-year-old has yet to be confirmed, and the cancellation comes after she finished a U.K. arena tour in July. Diana is currently slated to begin her Beautiful Love U.S. tour on August 16.
Following her appointment as the Star of the Seas’ Godmother earlier this summer, Diana spoke to why the role was a special one.
“I’ve always felt a deep connection to the ocean and the magic it represents—peace, adventure and awe,” she told People at the time. “When Royal Caribbean reached out to invite me to be the godmother of Star of the Seas, I knew it was something truly special.”
Diana—mom to five kids, including Tracee Ellis Ross and Evan Ross, and grandmother to eight—also had big plans for the event. “The family has been invited and all the grandkids,” she said. “That’s really what this ship is all about: joy and family fun.”
After all, in addition to naming her health and well-being as priorities these days, Diana—who is also mom to kids Rhonda Ross Kendrick, Ross Naess, and Chudney Ross—stressed, “My family is equally everything to me.”
In fact, when Diana appeared at the Met Gala this year for the first time in over two decades, she made sure her gown’s show-stopping, 18-foot train bore a special message.
“It has the names of all my children and my eight grandchildren,” she explained to La La Anthony on the May 6 carpet. “So everybody’s name is embroidered, embroidered in that.”
In addition to the dramatic train, the “I’m Coming Out” singer proved she wanted the world to know about her appearance by donning a bejeweled, silver gown and an extra-wide brimmed and feathered hat by Ugo Mozie. As she said of the accessory, “The hat—I have to be careful with the hat because my head was pretty big.”
As for how the music legend remains calm in the spotlight?
“Once I walk in front of the camera or onstage, I try to forget if my dress is OK, forget about the makeup, the hair, if I’ve made the phone calls I was supposed to and all of that,” she told Elle in 2005. “I just want to have a good time and feel that my spirit is connected and that I’m happy.”
Source: www.eonline.com