The Tragic Truth About Tia And Tamera Mowry
By the mid 1990s, Tia Mowry and Tamera Mowry-Housley were two of the most famous child stars in Hollywood. They rose to fame in 1994 when they took on the role of long-lost twins Tia Landry and Tamera Campbell in their would-be hit series "Sister, Sister." The show drew to a close in 1999, but the twins continued working together, co-starring in "Seventeen Again," the Disney Channel's "Twitches" movie franchise, and "Double Wedding."
The twins' joint acting career eventually became a thing of the past, and after their reality show in the early 2010s, the pair went their separate ways on screen. Forging separate identities in front of the camera, Tia took a lead role in Netflix's "Family Reunion" while Tamera established herself as a popular TV personality by hosting "The Real." However, they've continued working together behind the scenes, creating their own business, Need Brands, and authoring a series of children's books called "Twintuition."
And they remain as close as ever, thanks to what Tamera calls their "twin telepathy." "I know exactly what she's thinking. I can feel her and I can sense her. All I have to do is look in her eyes and I can tell what she's thinking and vice versa," she told HuffPost in 2011 (via E! News). But, despite their impressive careers, busy personal lives, and sweet sister connection, things definitely haven't always been easy for the Mowry sisters. From racist remarks to fertility struggles, this is the tragic truth about Tia and Tamera Mowry.
They were denied a magazine cover because of prejudice
Starring in the popular sitcom "Sister, Sister" from 1994 to 1999 made Tia Mowry and Tamera Mowry-Housley household names. The show pulled in huge ratings; Tia told ET that at one point, the series was bringing in bigger numbers than "Friends." As a result of their success, the twins hoped to appear on the cover of a magazine that was very popular at the time. Although they have not revealed the name of the magazine, Tia shared that she and her sister were denied a spot on the cover because of prejudice. "We were told that we couldn't be on the cover of the magazine because we were Black and we would not sell," she recalled.
Tia continued, "Here I am as an adult and it still affects me, how someone could demean your value because of the color of your skin?" The star also noted that she wishes she had the courage to call out that kind of behavior back then. But Tia isn't letting the cycle of prejudice continue; she makes sure her kids, Cree and Cairo, know their value, affirming how beautiful and smart they are. "Because I know what it feels like for someone to — that you've looked up to — for someone to devalue your worth. And I don't ever want my children to ever, ever, ever feel that," she affirmed.
Their mom was racially profiled while they were kids
In the wake of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd's deaths and the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, Tia Mowry took to social media to discuss some examples of racism and privilege she witnessed and experienced while growing up. She explained on Instagram that it was something she saw in her life from a very young age. "Mom is black and dad is white, it was very clear to me seeing the privilege that my dad had as opposed to my mother," she said. The star went on to detail one frequent example from their "Sister, Sister" days, recalling that when they traveled first class, flight attendants would regularly assume their mom, Darlene Mowry, wasn't in the correct section.
She continued, "Another incident that stood out for me was when we were buying our first home as a family. My mother walked in the house model with us asking for a brochure. A person had said the houses were sold out. My dad walked in and it was a different story." In her post, Tia explained that this kind of racial profiling happened a lot and it continues to affect her, and she's still waiting to see change. On a 2023 episode of "The Cool Mom Code" podcast, Tia said it's part of the reason why she and her sister identify as Black and not biracial. "I have seen and felt her struggles as being a Black woman ... I am an extension of my mother," she said.
They felt pressure growing up in the spotlight
In recent years, more and more child stars have opened up about the pressures of fame and growing up in front of the camera. Christina Ricci has called out how she was sexualized when she was a teenager, while Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, who've since retreated from the spotlight, recalled feeling like trained animals during their lucrative acting career.
Unfortunately, it was no different for the Mowry sisters. In her cookbook "Whole New You," Tia Mowry opened up about turning to diet pills at a young age. "I didn't feel fat, but the pressure of being on television and wanting to look sexy and beautiful took over," she wrote. "I'm not proud of it. I got skinny, true, but the pills caused my heart to race, and I knew in my gut that I was hurting myself."
The "Family Reunion" star also told ET that her insecurities stemmed from her and her sister Tamera Mowry-Housley being two of very few young Black girls in the entertainment industry. "I would also feel insecure about my hair because being young and being in this business, I never saw girls like me," she said. "I never saw girls that, you know, were embracing their curls, or I never saw curly hair being portrayed as beautiful. Let's say that." She added that increased representation was one of the things that ultimately helped her change her mindset and embrace loving herself as she is.
They had to fight for equal pay
Pay disparity is definitely not just an issue in Hollywood, but the topic within the entertainment industry has received considerable media attention because more actors than ever before are speaking out and being transparent about their salaries. More often than not, female actors have had to fight to be paid what they deserve, and it's an all too frequent occurrence, with Academy Awards-winning star Octavia Spencer vocalizing how women of color are often not paid the same as their white female co-stars as well.
This is something Tia Mowry and Tamera Mowry-Housley unfortunately had to experience from a young age. Despite being the stars of one of the most popular sitcoms of the '90s, the twins found it very difficult to get raises and fair pay for their work. On her YouTube channel, "Tia Mowry's Quick Fix," Tia recalled, "It was always so hard for my sister and I to get what we felt like we deserved and our paycheck never equaled our counterparts' that weren't of diversity." It was only toward the end of the show's run that they were fairly compensated for their roles, which Tamera told Essence was entirely thanks to their mom for believing in and championing them. "[M]y sister and I became, at one point, one of the highest-paid actresses on a pre-teen family show and it started with my mom and us knowing our worth and, again, vocalizing what we believe is right," she said.
Tia Mowry's eczema was misdiagnosed for years
Tia Mowry has suffered from eczema ever since she was a child. However, she revealed to People that the condition was misdiagnosed for years. As Tia said in a separate chat with InStyle, "I grew up with symptoms not knowing that's what I had until I was in my mid 20s." She also noted that a lack of representation played a major role in her delayed diagnosis.
"Eczema is definitely a chronic condition that's very prominent within the African American community but unfortunately, there's a huge percentage of people suffering with eczema and it actually goes underdiagnosed. And that happens to be a part of my story. I'm definitely a part of that percentage," she told People.
Eczema can present in different ways for different people. For her, it looked like spots concentrated around her back and her arms, but they were very itchy. Darlene Mowry took her daughter to the doctor when she was a child, worried that it could be eczema, a condition she suffers from herself. However, she was told they were sunspots, which she now knows they were not. It took years for Tia to get an answer, but she's passionate about making sure other young Black girls don't feel alone the way she did, so now she's speaking out about her experience and calling out the lack of representation in the beauty industry. "When you see someone that resonates with you, or that looks like you, it makes a huge impact," she added.
Tamera Mowry received hateful messages about her marriage
Tia Mowry was the first of the Mowry twins to get married, tying the knot with Cory Hardrict in 2008 after eight years of dating. Tamera Mowry-Housley followed suit three years later, marrying Fox News correspondent Adam Housley in 2011. The couple are still going strong today, but they've had to weather a few storms, including one early in their marriage.
During an appearance on Oprah's "Where Are They Now" special in January 2014 with her sister, Tamera revealed that she was subject to a barrage of hateful messages online after tying the knot with her husband. "I've never experienced so much hate ever in my life, ever," she said. "I get called 'White man's wh**e' ... [and] stuff that, me as a person, could never even fathom," the "Melissa & Joey" alum shared. But when Tamera recalled that the comments got even worse when she was compared to her sister. "This is the big one, they say, 'Oh, Tia's a true Black woman, because she married a Black man,'" she said.
Tamera was horrified by the hateful, racist comments. They particularly bothered her because she comes from a biracial family, too. However, she chose not to let the comments affect her and instead celebrate her happy and loving marriage.
Tia Mowry experienced fertility struggles
Tia Mowry and Cory Hardrict welcomed their first child, son Cree, in 2011. Their family grew again in 2018 when daughter Cairo arrived. However, it was a difficult road for the "Sister, Sister" star. In a 2021 interview with Romper, she opened up about her fertility journey in the hope that her story might make other women in similar circumstances feel less alone. "I was diagnosed with something called endometriosis, which is a highly inflammatory condition that can cause infertility ... My whole world was turned upside down with the diagnosis," Tia explained.
She underwent two surgeries to treat the disease and completely overhauled her diet, cutting out any food linked to inflammation. Happily, she found success with the changes, which ultimately led to the creation of her cookbook "A Whole New You."
However, it didn't magically fix the problem, and Tia admitted to People in 2016 that she and her then-husband had been trying for a second child for a while. A few years later, everything had changed. To celebrate her daughter's third birthday, the actor posted on Instagram and shared a candid message with fans. She wrote: "I am so glad I didn't give up. Cairo, you have changed my life in so many beautiful ways. Being your mother brings me so much joy!"
Tamera Mowry's niece died in a shooting
Tamera Mowry-Housley and Adam Housley were left broken-hearted when their niece Alaina Housley was killed during the mass shooting at Borderline Bar in Thousand Oaks on November 8, 2018. The bar was a frequent haunt of college students from the likes of California Lutheran University, California State University, and Pepperdine University. Alaina had gone there with her friends but was later confirmed missing after a gunman opened fire on the bar during the early hours of the morning. After hours of frantic searching and worry, Tamera and her husband issued a statement confirming that, tragically, their niece was one of the 12 victims in the shooting.
Tamera was very close with her niece, who served as a bridesmaid in her 2011 wedding. She first met Alaina, who is the daughter of Adam's brother, when she was just 5 years old. From then on, the actor affectionately referred to her niece as her "favorite Housley." On November 9, Tamera took to Instagram to share a sweet tribute to Alaina. "My sweet, sweet Alaina. My heart breaks. I'm still in disbelief. It's not fair how you were taken and how soon you were taken from us ... You stole my heart. I will miss our inside jokes, us serenading at the piano," she wrote alongside a picture of her niece. "I love you. I love you. I love you. You are gonna make one gorgeous angel," she concluded.
They lost their grandmother to cancer
Just a few months after Alaina Housley's death, Tamera Mowry-Housley and her sister suffered the tragic loss of their grandmother. Tamera lovingly called her Grandma Clo and paid a sweet tribute to her on Instagram. "Grandma Clo ...You are the strongest person I know. You are the matriarch of our family. Every good thing trickles down from you. You amaze me every day with your strength and unconditional love. Your obedience and love towards our Heavenly Father is admirable. Love you so so so much," she wrote alongside a picture of her holding her grandma's hand.
She added another post and confirmed that her grandma had died of cancer. Meanwhile, Adam Housley also shared a sweet message for his grandma-in-law, thanking her for her unconditional love. He added that he knows she's with Alaina, telling stories and watching over the family (via People).
Tia Mowry didn't post online about their grandmother's death. However, she did post a sweet snap of herself and her kids sitting together a few days later on Instagram. Alongside it, she wrote, "The only thing we never get enough of is love."
Tia Mowry's divorce was 'partly' for her kids
Tia Mowry met Cory Hardrict in 1999 on the set of the independent horror flick called "Hollywood Horror." After a year of friendship, they officially started dating. "We've never followed what other people thought we should've been doing, we've always followed what was right for us," the "Family Reunion" star told People.
However, after just shy of a quarter of a century together, the couple decided to call it quits. They released a statement saying they would move forward as friends and co-parents. However, in the months since their separation, Tia has been more open about the difficult split, and she admitted to People that decision was partly for her kids. "For them seeing their mother walk in truth, I feel like it's a great lesson for them because it was not an easy decision," she said. "[They can say] my mommy is living and chasing her truth," she added, noting that the pursuit of truth is a gift she can give them to inspire them to be their most authentic selves as they grow up.
Since her separation, she's been unapologetically herself on social media. "Prioritizing joyfulness has been top of mind for me lately," she said on Instagram as she shared a video of herself dancing at home with a huge grin on her face. Her twin, Tamera Mowry-Housley, is happy to see her sister start this new chapter. As she told ET, "I know it's because she is living her authentic, true self."