Rhonda Mccullough: 5 Facts To Know About The Film Producer

Rhonda Mccullough is an American movie producer and Bernie Mac’s wife (now widow) of many years. Working behind the camera makes Rhonda McCullough a lesser-known celeb, however, she emerged in the limelight in 1977 following her marriage to late popular American comedian and movie star Bernie Mac. Away from being the wife of a celebrity, Rhonda has a career as a movie producer in Hollywood. The celebrity wife gained popularity for her work in productions like I Ain’t Scared of You: A Tribute to Bernie Mac, Biography that was released in 2011, as well as the 2014 movie Unsung Hollywood.

After she lost her first husband Bernie Mac in 2008, Rhoda found love again in the arms of Horace Gilmore who became her second husband in 2011. This explains her current name Rhonda McCullough-Gilmore. Apart from being a wife, the movie producer occupies herself with a charitable foundation set up in her late spouse’s memory. Below are five lesser-known facts to enlighten you about the life of Rhonda McCullough.

Rhonda McCullough is the daughter of Mary Simmons

Though very little is known about the movie producer’s background, it has been established that she is one of the children born to Mary Simmons who has one production credit under her belt where she depicted herself in the documentary Unsung Hollywood. Nothing is known about the producer’s dad but we know that she has a younger sister who is responsible for bringing Rhonda and her second husband Horace Gilmore together.

That is just about what is known about the early years of Rhonda before she came into the spotlight. Her actual date of birth and other birth details have not been made public.

She is the widow of Bernie Mac

Rhonda and Bernie image source

Rhoda’s relationship with American comedian Bernie Mac dates back to their high school days when the couple hit it off. Despite the ensuing challenges, the high school sweethearts were able to hold on to their love until graduation and eventually came together as man and wife in 1977. Their marriage endured for all of 41 years until Mac’s demise in 2008. Before his death, Bernie made his mark in the entertainment industry as a stand-up comedian, writer, actor, and producer.

Even though she has since moved on with her life by going into a second marriage, many still remember McCullough as the widow of comedian Bernie Mac. When Mac was in the hospital battling with the Pneumonia that eventually took his life, Rhoda was right by his side. The fact that they were high school sweethearts made Mac’s death much more painful for his widow.

Even after the comedian’s death, Rhonda McCullough has continued to contribute immensely to his tribute. Notable among her efforts to preserve the memory of the Hollywood legend is the production of Bernie Mac-centered documentary entitled I Ain’t Scared of You. At first, she felt lost when her husband passed on and this was expected, considering the fact that she has been with him since she was 16. However, time healed her wounds.

Bernie and Rhonda’s marriage was blessed with one child – a daughter named Je’Niece Childress who came to complete their family in 1978. Je’Niece made her mum a grandma in 2007 when she gave birth to a baby girl.

The movie producer spends a fair amount of time supporting the Bernie Mac Foundation

Among McCullough’s current priorities is the Bernie Mac Foundation – a charitable organization in memory of the late comedian and actor. It is important to note that the foundation was set up for the sole purpose of fighting a disease known as sarcoidosis. This ailment is most prevalent among African-Americans; it also affects people of Scandinavian descent, instances of the disease has also been found in other groups of people.

Generally, sarcoidosis patients are supposed to go into remission without external impute, however, there have been more serious cases that tend to continue re-occurring. This version of the disease can be fatal as it leads to the inflammation of vital organs in the human body. Though Bernie Mac eventually died as a result of complications from pneumonia, he had suffered sarcoidosis which went for his lungs. This is apparently what inspired the foundation set up to fight the deadly disease as a tribute to him.

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Rhonda is an excellent cook

Perhaps one of the things that made Bernie and Rhonda McCullough so compactable is the fact that she is an excellent cook while Bernie was an unrepentant foodie. In fact, his favorite meal which is soul food happens to be one of the movie producer’s specialties. Nowadays, Rhonda is just satisfied with making lighter food as her advancing age calls for more care in choosing what she injects into her system. Even at that, the mother of one still holds onto her belief about love as a very important ingredient in cooking and is capable of bringing folks together via something of shared interest.

She is now married to Horace Gilmore

After the demise of her first husband in 2008, McCullough waited for three years before moving on with her life. It was thanks to her younger sister that she met the man who would become her second husband. According to Rhonda’s sister, something told her that Horace Gilmore would be the right man for the movie producer and as it turned out, she was spot on. The two connected instantly and started dating. The relationship blossomed quite fast and ended in a 2011 wedding. The duo has been inseparable ever since. Just like Mac, Horace doesn’t know his way around the kitchen, however, he never fails to appreciate Rhonda’s display of culinary expertise.

Rhonda seems to have found joy again after burying her high school sweetheart. Unlike Bernie Mac, Horace Gilmore is not a popular person in the entertainment industry. This is probably why the couple lives a quiet and happy life away from media scrutiny.