This is a pretty exciting time for Shemar Moore, as the star just experienced a major change in his life. Moore recently became a dad, as he and girlfriend Jesiree Dizon welcomed a baby girl named Frankie. While the star is looking ahead to fatherhood as of late, he also reflected on his time as a bachelor. In doing so, he humorously recalled the time that he tried to shoot his shot with Alicia Keys and revealed that he got totally shut down in the process.
The fan-favorite actor recounted the hilariously painful story during an appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show. The encounter came up when the host discussed Shemar Moore’s stint as the host on the long-running musical variety series Soul Train from the late '90s to early '00s. The S.W.A.T. star told a story about the 2001 Soul Train Awards, where Alicia Keys (who was a rising star at that point) performed, and it sounds like Moore was head over heels:
I tried to get at Alicia Keys; I tried. I've told this story from time to time, but the short version of it is -- I saw her at the Soul Train Awards. I was in my dressing room, I looked at the monitor, and there she was with her cornrows. And this was when her song, 'Falling,' was first blowing up. She was getting ready to explode. So she's playing the piano, doing her thing, and my favorite instrument is the piano.
The 52-year-old actor met a lot of different performers while hosting Soul Train, but clearly the one that really took his breath away was Alicia Keys -- and I can’t blame him. So when he got the opportunity to see her months later, he just had to take the chance. Unfortunately for him, the meet-up did not go smoothly. Here's what he had to say about the moment he approached the Grammy as well as how she responded:
So fast forward about four months, and she's having a listening party here in L.A.. So [it was] me and my homie; I was like, ‘Yo, Alicia’s performing. We gotta go, we gotta go. Someone else is performing, she's on the rooftop, so I get on the rooftop. I get up the nerve… So I go over there, and I go, 'So hey Alicia, check this out, you're wonderful, and piano is amazing. I don't know what your man situation is like, but if you're ever in L.A., I'd love to take you out for a drink. And her aunt was listening, just laughing and snickering at me. And I’m taking everything in me to do this. And she goes, 'Check this out, son. I respect your flirt game, but my man situation is handled.' I walked away so uncool. And my boy was like, ‘What happened?’ I was like, ‘I don’t wanna talk about it; let’s go.’
Ouch! Well, that's definitely not the way you would hope an encounter with a crush would go. However, it definitely sounds like the CBS vet views the situation with more humor than anything these days. Plus, I think he's totally happy with how things turned out, since he's now a first-time dad with a beautiful baby girl. Also, you kind of have to appreciate that Alicia Keys had no problem being so direct with the man. She's got spirit, as we certainly know, and it was definitely on display there.
Even though the "No One" turned him down, Shemar Moore has still had ladies swooning over him for years. One fan even has shirtless pictures of Moore framed around her house. So needless to say, the love for the actor is strong, and that vibe was more than palpable during his appearance on Jennifer Hudson's show. You can check out the clip down below:
But it's fair to say that the only girl on Shemar Moore’s mind these days is his newborn daughter. Moore announced his impending fatherhood earlier this month while also revealing his hopes of fulfilling his mother’s wishes of becoming a dad. (Coincidentally, his S.W.A.T. character is preparing to welcome a baby girl as well.) I think I speak for the fans when I say we wish him the best, and I'm sure Alicia Keys (who has not responded to his story) would do the same.
Those who'd like to see the actor doing what he does best can check out new episodes of S.W.A.T. air on Fridays at 8 p.m. EST on CBS, with episodes also streaming for Paramount+ subscription holders. Also, check out CinemaBlend’s 2023 TV schedule to see what else is coming out soon.
