Tisha Campbell's Life Wasn't Easy After Her Divorce From Duane Martin
This article contains mention of domestic violence.
Divorce is never easy but for Tisha Campbell, her split with her husband Duane Martin in 2018 was particularly rough. After multiple years of dating, the two were married for 22 years before the "Martin" star filed for divorce. "After 27 years of being together and two amazing children, it pains me to announce that I've filed for divorce. It's an emotional time and I graciously ask for privacy for me, our children, and the rest of our family," she stated, per E! News.
After the two had separated, things got messy. Campbell filed a restraining order and claimed Martin had been physically and emotionally abusive to her since the beginning of their marriage, TMZ reported. "I can no longer live in fear of retaliation ... the need [to] press criminal charges for his acts overshadows the embarrassment of making his crimes against me public through this report," Campbell declared. Two years later, the divorce was finalized and it seemed like a clean split. According to People, neither had to pay spousal support or child support and the two share joint physical custody of their minor child, Ezekiel Czar. Their oldest son Xen was 19 years old at the time. However, the fallout from the divorce was difficult for Campbell and she had to process the end of her decades-long marriage to Martin, as well as losing some close friendships.
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.
Tisha Campbell went through the five stages of grief following her divorce
Tisha Campbell had to find herself again after her divorce from Duane Martin. In a sit-down with "Ebro in the Morning," she revealed, "Going through and navigating and rediscovering one's self outside of the labels is one of the most devastating things one can go through in a relationship. But it's a beautiful devastation." The actor revealed that she went "through the five stages of grief" at the beginning, but slowly pushed through. "Then all of a sudden, there's an awakening. There's an, 'I can do this. I can navigate,'" Campbell added. She admitted that she was in "survival mode" after her divorce and was just focused on her kids. The actor also shared that she lost some friendships because of the split. "It's more than just uncoupling with an individual. It's an entire group. It's an entire family ... and now I have four friends that I kick it with, period."
While Campbell and Martin were not ordered to pay spousal and child support, the "Uncoupled" actor revealed to Entertainment Tonight that she was flat-out broke at the time of the divorce. "No one knows that but I had nothing. Nothing in the bank, nothing. I had maybe $7 to my name and I was scared. It was like I was starting all over," she admitted. Despite her tough time, Campbell made it through with the help of her kids, and she ultimately reclaimed her identity.
Tisha Campbell found herself again after her divorce
Two years after her divorce from Duane Martin, Tisha Campbell made the decision to drop her ex-husband's last name, which had been hyphenated with hers since their marriage. "Okay I just got my divorce decree — I know that took forever — and I just went to the social security office and I changed my name back to Tisha Campbell. On my dad's birthday nonetheless. I'm Tisha Campbell. Hello, nice to meet you," she shared on Instagram.
Campbell's divorce occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic but she took the time to focus on herself, her two sons, and projects she was passionate about. "I'm so blessed to have such an amazing support system and my motivation being my two children. You know, I'm a newly single mom and I'm enjoying the time that was spent even in the isolation," she stated in an interview with WUSA9. She added that she spent some "quality growth time" with her kids, while also learning a lot about herself as well.
Although Campbell went through one of the hardest times in her life during and after the divorce, she has managed to make her way back to the top and remains one of Hollywood's fan-favorite actors.