Editing Diana Ross (section)

===2000–2003: Supremes reunion===
{{Main|Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever|Return to Love Tour}}

Ross reunited with [[Mary Wilson (singer)|Mary Wilson]] first in 1976 to attend the funeral service of [[Florence Ballard]], who had died in February of that year. In March 1983, Ross agreed to reunite with Wilson and [[Cindy Birdsong]] for the television special ''[[Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever]]''. The Supremes did not rehearse their performance for that evening, due to time constraints. A scheduled medley of hits was cancelled.

Instead of following producer [[Suzanne de Passe]]'s instructions to recreate their choreography from their final [[The Ed Sullivan Show|Ed Sullivan Show]] appearance, Wilson (according to her autobiography) planned with Birdsong to take a step forward every time Ross did the same, then began to sing lead on the group's final number-one hit song, "[[Someday We'll Be Together]]", on which Wilson did not perform.

Later, Wilson introduced Berry Gordy from the stage (unaware that the program's script called for Ross to introduce Gordy), at which point Ross subtly pushed down Wilson's hand-held microphone, stating, "It's been taken care of." Ross then re-introduced Gordy.<ref>Wilson, Mary, ''Dreamgirl, My Life as a Supreme''; Taraborrelli, Randy, ''Call Her Miss Ross: The Unauthorized Biography of Diana Ross''; George, Nelson ''Where Did Our Love Go?, The Rise & Fall of Motown''.</ref><ref>Posner, Gerald. ''Motown: Music, Money, Sex, and Power,'' pp. 308–09, and Taraborrelli, Randy, ''The Unauthorized Biography of Diana Ross''.</ref> These moments were excised from the final edit of the taped special, but still made their way into the news media; ''[[People (magazine)|People]]'' magazine reported that "Ross [did] some elbowing to get Wilson out of the spotlight."<ref>Wilson, Mary. ''Dreamgirl: My Life as a Supreme'', pp. 1–5. Taken from Wilson, Mary and Romanowski, Patricia (1986, 1990, 2000). ''[[Dreamgirl: My Life As a Supreme|Dreamgirl & Supreme Faith: My Life as a Supreme]]''. New York: Cooper Square Publishers. {{ISBN|0-8154-1000-X}}.</ref>

In 1999, Ross and mega-tour promoter SFX Entertainment (which later became [[Live Nation (events promoter)|Live Nation]]) began negotiations regarding a Diana Ross tour which would include a Supremes segment. During negotiations with Ross, the promoters considered the creation of a Supremes tour, instead. Ross agreed. As the tour's co-producer, Ross invited all living former Supremes to participate. Neither [[Jean Terrell]] nor late 1970s member [[Susaye Greene]] chose to participate. 70s Supremes [[Lynda Laurence]] and [[Scherrie Payne]] were then touring as [[Former Ladies of the Supremes]].

Ross contacted Mary Wilson and Cindy Birdsong, who then began negotiations with SFX. Negotiations with Wilson and Birdsong (who allowed Wilson to negotiate on her behalf) failed when Wilson refused SFX's and Ross's offer of $4 million for 30 performances. Following the passage of SFX's final deadline for Wilson to accept their offer, Payne and Laurence, already negotiating with SFX, signed on to perform with Ross on the tour.

Laurence and Payne would later say that they got along well with Ross. The newly formed group performed together on ''[[Today (American TV program)|Today]]'' and ''[[The Oprah Winfrey Show]]'', as well as [[VH1]]'s ''[[VH1 Divas#VH1 Divas 2000: A Tribute to Diana Ross|VH1 Divas 2000: A Tribute to Diana Ross]]''. The [[Return to Love Tour]] launched in June 2000, to a capacity audience in Philadelphia. The tour's final performance was at [[New York City]]'s [[Madison Square Garden]]. The tour was cancelled by SFX shortly thereafter, due to mediocre ticket sales, despite glowing reviews from media as varied as ''Billboard'' magazine, the ''[[Detroit Free Press]]'', the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' and ''[[The Village Voice]]'' newspapers.

On December 5, 2000, Ross received a Heroes Award from the [[The Recording Academy|National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences]] (NARAS). The Heroes Award is the highest distinction bestowed by the New York Chapter.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.upi.com/News_Photos/view/upi/a9acdea950eeba2c67346626bb3dcd94/DIANA-ROSS-AND-BB-KING-RECEIVE-HEROES-AWARDS/|title=DIANA ROSS AND B.B. KING RECEIVE HEROES AWARDS|website=UPI|access-date=February 12, 2018|archive-date=February 10, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180210181027/https://www.upi.com/News_Photos/view/upi/a9acdea950eeba2c67346626bb3dcd94/DIANA-ROSS-AND-BB-KING-RECEIVE-HEROES-AWARDS/|url-status=live}}</ref> Ross's first public post-RTL appearance was at a fundraiser for former president [[Bill Clinton]]. In January 2001, ''[[Love & Life: The Very Best of Diana Ross]]'' was released in the United Kingdom, becoming Ross's 17th gold album in that country. In June, Ross presented costume designer [[Bob Mackie]] with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the American Fashion Awards.

Two days before the [[September 11 attacks]], Ross performed "[[God Bless America]]" at the [[US Open (tennis)|US Open]] before the tournament's women's final, between [[Venus Williams|Venus]] and [[Serena Williams]]. Immediately following the attacks, Ross performed the song again at [[Shea Stadium]], before the [[New York Mets]] first game, after driving cross-country to be with her children (in the wake of the attacks, flying in the U.S. was temporarily restricted.).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxA6QkcBfwk|title=Diana Ross performs "God Bless America" at Shea|last=MLB|date=September 11, 2017|publisher=[[YouTube]]|access-date=February 12, 2018|archive-date=August 20, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190820195453/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxA6QkcBfwk&gl=US&hl=en|url-status=live}}</ref> Ross teamed with legendary singers [[Patti LaBelle]] and [[Eartha Kitt]], among others, for a Nile Rodgers-produced recording of [[Sister Sledge]]'s classic disco hit, "[[We Are Family (song)|We Are Family]]", recorded to benefit the families of 9/11 victims.

In May 2002, Ross and all five of her children appeared on [[Barbara Walters]]' [[Mother's Day]] television special. Shortly thereafter, Ross admitted herself into the 30-day substance abuse program at the Promises Institute in [[Malibu, California]], after friends and family began to notice a burgeoning [[Alcoholism|alcohol problem]]. Ross left the program three weeks later and began to fulfill previously scheduled concert dates, beginning with a performance before a 60,000-strong crowd at London's [[Hyde Park, London|Hyde Park]], for [[Charles, Prince of Wales|Prince Charles]]' [[The Prince's Trust|Prince's Trust]] charity.{{cn|date=January 2025}}

U.S. ticket sales for the new tour were brisk, from coast to coast. Venues, such as [[Long Island]]'s [[Theatre at Westbury|Westbury Music Fair]], California's [[Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts]] and Humphrey's Concerts by the Bay, attempted to add extra shows, due to public demand. Sold-out performances in [[Boston]] followed. In August, shortly after the tour began, however, Ross re-entered the Promises Institute's substance abuse rehabilitation program. That December, during her stay at Arizona's Canyon Ranch Health Resort, Ross was pulled over by Tucson police for driving the wrong way on a one-way street. She failed a [[breathalizer]] test and was arrested for a [[Driving under the influence|DUI]]. Ross was sentenced in 2004 to 48 hours in jail, which she served near her home in [[Greenwich, Connecticut]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Cassidy |first1=Martin B. |title=Singer Diana Ross serves DUI term in town custody |url=http://www.greenwichtime.com/news/local/scn-gt-ross3feb13,0,2400738.story?coll=green-news-local-headlines |website=Greenwich Time |access-date=26 March 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040227191702/http://www.greenwichtime.com/news/local/scn-gt-ross3feb13,0,2400738.story?coll=green-news-local-headlines |archive-date=2004-02-27 |language=en-US |date=2004-02-13}}</ref>

In January 2003, Ross was honored as Humanitarian of the Year by Nile Rodgers' [[We Are Family Foundation]]. Shortly thereafter, Ross was feted as an honored guest at the National Association of Black-Owned Broadcasters Awards. Later that year, Ross was the guest performer at that year's [[Metropolitan Museum of Art]]'s [[Anna Wintour Costume Center|Costume Institute]]'s annual gala, in an ensemble custom-designed by fashion designer [[Tom Ford]], followed by an appearance as the surprise celebrity model for American couturier Dennis Basso's runway show. In February 2003, the Supremes were honored by the [[Rhythm and Blues Foundation]] with its Pioneer Award.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rhythmblues.org/awards.php?year=2003 |title=Pioneer Awards |access-date=5 June 2022|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160302124355/http://www.rhythmblues.org/awards.php?year=2003 |archive-date=March 2, 2016 }}</ref>