Quote Originally Posted by Ollie9 View Post
I agree in that prior to her death, Flo still held huge resentment for Gordy as opposed to Diana. His instincts were spot on in not attending.
For Diana it was a very difficult situation. Her absence would probably have been construed as not caring had she not turned up. Her only mistake was making herself the focus of attention at such an emotionally charged event.
Wrongly or rightly she paid paid the price, cast by global media as the attention seeking diva.
I can agree with this. There's talk that once inside the church Diana became very emotional in a dramatic fashion. If true, I've never faulted her for that. I've been to enough funerals to expect audible gasps, fainting, screams, someone having to be escorted to a seat, etc. Diana is human after all, and subject to human moments like the rest of us. I never thought that her having that reaction was her attempting to get attention, as has been alleged.

However, I do think it weird that she didn't wait in line with her mother and sister and sit with them, or at least, considering it might have been safer for her to go directly inside, that she should have been seated with her own family, instead of up front with Flo's family. It looked like she was trying to get attention. Whether that's what she was doing or not, it was the optics of the thing.

I do not fault her for getting up to say something. I do fault her for pulling Mary into it without asking her. A few years ago after the death of a loved one, a family member took it upon herself to put people on the program without asking them if they would like to speak or sing. So folks arrived at the funeral, in no frame of mind to do anything other than grieve, only to find out they were to speak or sing. It pissed folks off, and rightfully so. Diana crossed a line and Mary should've checked her for it [[later).

Ultimately, I do believe that if Flo could've had a say, she would've wanted both Diana and Mary there. The three of them shared such an extraordinary experience together. They made history together. For decades to come, any three females, especially any three Black females, would forever be compared to the Supremes. Seemed only right that the two remaining ladies be there for Flo's final send off.