Eric Maurice: Sheryl Lee Ralph’s First Husband

Eric Maurice is best known as actress Sheryl Lee Ralph’s first husband. The former couple married in 1990, later had two children, and divorced in 2001. Maurice has largely stayed out of the entertainment spotlight while maintaining a business career.

Eric Maurice at a Glance

Much of the available information about Maurice comes from reporting on his connection to Ralph or from business records rather than from interviews or a detailed personal biography. That distinction matters because a number of websites repeat claims about his age, wealth, education, and private life without showing strong evidence.

Who Is Eric Maurice?

Eric Maurice is a businessman who became known publicly through his marriage to Sheryl Lee Ralph, the actress, singer and Broadway performer whose career includes Dreamgirls, Moesha, and Abbott Elementary. Ralph has spoken publicly about her former marriage, her children, and the difficult period surrounding the end of that relationship, while Maurice himself has generally kept a lower profile.

That limited public presence has created a strange situation: Maurice is recognizable in celebrity searches, yet there is comparatively little verified biographical information about him.

One of the clearest pieces of evidence about his professional life comes from 1515 Design. The company’s official history says it was founded in 2010 by Eric Maurice and Francis Delpech. The business specializes in importing European commercial food-service equipment for retailers, restaurants and hospitality operations in North America.

Eric Maurice and Sheryl Lee Ralph’s Marriage

Ralph and Maurice married in 1990. Their marriage lasted more than a decade and included the birth of two children before the couple divorced in 2001. Multiple entertainment publications identify Maurice as Ralph’s first husband and place the marriage in the 1990–2001 period.

The relationship is especially significant in Ralph’s personal history because it preceded her long-running marriage to Pennsylvania State Senator Vincent Hughes.

Ralph later spoke candidly about the emotional impact of ending her first marriage. In an interview with Parade, she described experiencing depression following the 2001 divorce and explained that she ultimately felt she needed to leave the relationship so she could be the best version of herself for her children.

That account gives more context to the divorce than the simplified celebrity biographies that merely list the years of the marriage.

Did Eric Maurice and Sheryl Lee Ralph Have Children?

Yes. The couple has two children: son Etienne Maurice and daughter Ivy Coco Maurice. People reported that Etienne was born in 1992 and Ivy followed in 1995.

Their children have since developed careers of their own.

Etienne is a filmmaker, entrepreneur and activist associated with WalkGood LA, a nonprofit organization focused on wellness, community and healing. He married ABC News journalist Stephanie Wash in Jamaica in July 2024, with Ralph and Maurice both present for the wedding.

Ivy Coco has worked in fashion and styling and has collaborated professionally with her mother. People has described her as a stylist and creative professional who has helped shape Ralph’s fashion presence.

Their public careers have given Maurice another connection to the entertainment world, even though he has remained largely outside it himself.

What Does Eric Maurice Do for a Living?

Maurice has a documented career in business rather than acting or television.

According to the official 1515 Design website, Maurice and Francis Delpech founded 1515 Design in 2010. The company imports European commercial kitchen equipment and supplies products to grocery stores, restaurants and hospitality businesses across North America. Its product portfolio includes Doregrill commercial rotisseries and heated display equipment.

The company’s professional profile also identifies Maurice and Delpech as its founders and describes the company as an Inglewood, California-based wholesale import and export business.

An industry interview with Delpech published by Supermarket News further confirms Maurice’s role in establishing the company. Delpech described 1515 Design as a business built around food concepts, European equipment and customized solutions for retailers.

This is one area where the public record is considerably stronger than many celebrity biography sites suggest. Rather than simply labeling Maurice an entrepreneur, there is a specific business and a documented history connecting him to it.

Where Is Eric Maurice Today?

Maurice continues to be associated with the business world, particularly through 1515 Design. The company’s current website still identifies him as one of its owners and founders, and its operations remain focused on European food-service equipment in the North American market.

Beyond his professional role, reliable public information about his present-day private life is limited.

That is important because numerous online biographies publish details such as an exact age, personal net worth, current residence, or second marriage as though they were established facts. The stronger sources reviewed for this article do not provide enough evidence to confirm many of those claims.

For that reason, there is no reliable basis for assigning Maurice a specific current net worth or declaring that he is remarried.

Eric Maurice’s Background and Nationality

Some secondary biographical sources describe Maurice as having French and Ivorian connections and identify Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, as his birthplace. However, detailed primary documentation about his birth date, upbringing and education is difficult to find in reputable sources.

That means readers should be cautious with highly specific personal details circulating online.

His professional history, by contrast, is easier to verify. The official 1515 Design material directly connects him with a company he co-founded and places that business in California.

How Eric Maurice’s Life Differs From Sheryl Lee Ralph’s

Ralph built a highly visible career in theater, film and television. Her work on Broadway, in Moesha, and more recently in Abbott Elementary has kept her firmly in the public eye. Maurice followed a very different path.

His public identity is largely tied to family and business rather than entertainment.

That contrast also explains why searches for his name often focus on questions such as who he is, what he does, how long he was married to Ralph, and what happened to him after their divorce.

Ralph has moved on to a long marriage with Vincent Hughes. The couple married in 2005 and, according to a 2025 PEOPLE interview, have maintained a successful relationship while living in separate cities for much of their marriage.

Maurice, meanwhile, has remained much less visible in the media.

What Is Known—and Not Known—About Eric Maurice?

The most dependable picture of Eric Maurice is fairly straightforward.

He was Sheryl Lee Ralph’s first husband, they were married from 1990 until 2001, and they have two children together. He later became a business owner and co-founded 1515 Design with Francis Delpech in 2010.

What remains unclear is equally important. There is no strong, widely documented public record establishing an exact birth date, verified personal fortune, detailed education history, or extensive account of his life away from the business world.

In other words, Eric Maurice is not a conventional celebrity biography subject. His public story is mostly about the intersection of family, business and a famous former spouse. The available evidence supports that story without requiring the more speculative details often added by low-quality biography sites.

FAQs

Who is Eric Maurice?

Eric Maurice is a businessman best known publicly as Sheryl Lee Ralph’s first husband. He and Ralph were married from 1990 to 2001 and have two children together. He later co-founded 1515 Design, a California-based company specializing in commercial food-service equipment.

When did Eric Maurice marry Sheryl Lee Ralph?

Eric Maurice and Sheryl Lee Ralph married in 1990. Their marriage ended in divorce in 2001.

How many children does Eric Maurice have?

Eric Maurice has two children with Sheryl Lee Ralph: Etienne Maurice, born in 1992, and Ivy Coco Maurice, born in 1995.

What does Eric Maurice do for a living?

Maurice is a businessman. He co-founded 1515 Design with Francis Delpech in 2010. The company imports European commercial kitchen and food-service equipment for businesses across North America.

Is Eric Maurice married now?

There is not enough reliable public evidence to confirm a current marriage. Publicly documented sources focus mainly on his former marriage to Sheryl Lee Ralph and his business career.

What do you feel about this post?

0%

Like

0%

Love

0%

Happy

0%

Haha

0%

Sad

0%

Angry

Saad Soomro

I am an independent writer and digital researcher tracking everyday trends, tech shifts, and modern culture across the US. I focus on cutting through internet noise to bring you crisp, honest stories and practical takeaways you can actually use.