The Young and the Restless actress Marguerite Ray was misidentified during the 48th Daytime Emmy Awards’ In Memoriam segment. The video tribute, presented on Friday, had her name appearing next to a photo of another Y&R alum—that being Veronica Redd.
The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences came forward on Saturday to apologize for the mix-up.
“We deeply regret this error and intend to re-edit the sequence for subsequent digital releases once a replacement image can be appropriately licensed,” wrote a spokesperson on the Daytime Emmys’ official Twitter account. “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 is known for portraying Mamie Johnson, the first regular African-American character on The Young and the Restless. While she originated the role, and played it on the CBS soap opera for a decade, Redd took it over for a number of years, beginning in 1990.
Ray passed away on November 18, 2020, aged 89; Redd, however, is still very much alive.
The Daytime Emmys’ official apology for the In Memoriam error, spread across a three-part Twitter thread, can be found below.
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. (1/3)
— Daytime Emmys (@DaytimeEmmys) June 26, 2021
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. (3/3)
— Daytime Emmys (@DaytimeEmmys) June 26, 2021