James Ransone’s widow, Jamie “Skipper” McPhee, has slammed the Emmys for omitting her late husband from its “In Memoriam” segment.
“I didn’t watch the Emmys, so I only now understand how much of a snub this truly was. I am incredibly disappointed @televisionacad,” McPhee wrote in a Tuesday, September 15, Instagram Story shared one day after the event aired. “James Ransone was an incredibly gifted actor and it simply is not right to now acknowledge him and his work.”
The post followed an earlier Instagram Story that first revealed McPhee’s surprise over the omission of Ransone, best known for his roles in HBO’s The Wire and Generation Kill, who died at age 46 in December 2025.
“My husband James Ransone was not acknowledged in memoriam at tonight’s Emmys. He was also not at the Oscars earlier this year,” she wrote via Instagram Stories on Monday, September 14, per a report by Entertainment Weekly. “PJ [Ransone] was impossible, loveable, intolerable and incredible – depends on who you ask. But without question – he was a great actor.”
McPhee concluded in her first post, “But good news is PJ wouldn’t care. He’d actually think it’s funny.”
A spokesperson for the Television Academy, whom McPhee had tagged in her second Instagram Story, shared a statement regarding Ransone’s omission with the outlet on Tuesday. “Every year, the Emmy Awards presents an In Memoriam video for all three ceremonies. Given only a few minutes to honor those who have passed, there is a limit on how many people can be acknowledged on the broadcasts,” the statement read. “The Academy presents a more extensive video, listing the hundreds of names of television colleagues we’ve lost in the past year, on their website.”
McPhee has spoken about her late husband in the wake of his untimely death via social media on several occasions. In May, she shared a candid message about solo parenting as she celebrated her son’s birthday without his father. “Baby king Jack is 7 today,” McPhee captioned a May 5 Instagram post. “I can’t believe it. The most handsome, stubborn, funny, affectionate, strong boy and we wouldn’t want it any other way. Love you to the moon and back! To all of our friends and family — it takes a village indeed. We love everyone so much. Thank you for all your support, love, kindness, food, tears, and laughs these last 5 months. I can finally see that every day is a gift so on this one we celebrate Jack together. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
Ransone died by suicide last December. He is survived by McPhee, Jack and the couple’s daughter, Violet.
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