The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) has issued an apology following an error that was made in the In Memoriam segment that aired during the 48th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards on Friday. While paying tribute to The Young and the Restless alum Marguerite Ray (ex-Mamie Johnson), who passed away in November 2020, the Academy mistakenly used a photo of Y&R alum Veronica Redd, who took over the role of Mamie after Ray's exit.
"We deeply regret this error and intend to re-edit the sequence for subsequent digital releases once a replacement image can be appropriately licensed," the Daytime Emmys wrote as part of a series of tweets on Saturday. "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."
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
Marguerite Ray played the role of Y&R's Mamie -- the show's first regular African-American character -- from 1980 to 1989. Veronica Redd took over the role for a number of years, beginning in 1990. Ray passed away on November 18, 2020, at the age of 89; Redd is still very much alive.
As longtime Y&R viewers may recall, Mamie was the Abbott family's trusted housekeeper who helped raise John Abbott's (Jerry Douglas) children -- Jack (Peter Bergman), Ashley (Eileen Davidson), and Traci (Beth Maitland) -- after Dina Mergeron (Marla Adams) left the family. She was also later revealed to be the aunt of the Barber sisters, Olivia (Tonya Williams) and Drucilla (Victoria Rowell).
For more about this year's Emmys, check out Soap Central's complete 2021 Daytime Emmy Awards coverage here.
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