Tragic Details About Tia And Tamera Mowry's Lives

Tia Mowry and Tamera Mowry-Housley are among Hollywood's most famous and beloved twins. The two made television appearances early in the '90s on sitcoms and eventually landed their own hit series, "Sister Sister," in 1994. The Mowry sisters continued to land television and movie roles together, often depicting their strong siblingship. Their early success opened doors for individual opportunities for the two, further etching them into pop culture history.

Their relationship as displayed in "Sister Sister," "Twitches," and even their reality show "Tia & Tamera," gave fans an insight into their strong connection, giving the impression of perfect lives. However, not even celebrities have the luxury of living perfect lives. Tia and Tamera have faced numerous challenges throughout their careers both together and individually including dealing with forms of racism, challenges in their love lives, and loss in the family. Here are some of the most tragic moments the Mowry twins have experienced.

Tia and Tamera Mowry were born in 1978 to a white dad — Timothy Mowry — and a Black mom — Darlene Mowry. Despite their fame and fortune, the two still experienced moments of racism, as recalled by Tia in a 2020 interview with Entertainment Tonight. The star recalled that she and Tamera hoped to be on the cover of a teenage magazine at the height of "Sister Sister," but were turned down because of the color of their skin. "My sister and I wanted to be on the cover of this very popular magazine at the time ... We were told that we couldn't be on the cover of the magazine because we were Black and we would not sell," she said.

Almost brought to tears, Tia asked, "how could someone demean your value because of the color of your skin?" In a separate interview with Entertainment Tonight, Tamera explained that their publicist wanted to hide the racism behind the reason they weren't chosen to be on the magazine's cover. Still, she and Tia insisted on knowing why. "What we were told ... was that to be Black and to be on the cover, we had to be like, a triple threat to sell. You couldn't just be an actress. You had to be a music star, a movie star, so we felt like we just weren't enough and it was like, 'Wow.'"

In Tia's interview with Entertainment Tonight she shared that she positively reinforces her children about their skin color as she never wants them to experience moments of feeling devalued the way she and her sister did.

Like the rest of the world during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, Tia and Tamera Mowry were forced to isolate themselves from people living outside of their homes, forcing them to be apart for more than six months. "I still haven't seen her, physically," Tamera told Entertainment Tonight in October 2020. But, the two devised a plan to ensure they remained in touch. "Every two weeks, we Zoom each other and we have happy hour. We have a glass of wine, we talk about what's been happening," Tamera said. The actress said she knew that she and her sister would shed tears.

Though the Mowry twins have always been close, rumors began to swirl that their relationship was not as strong as it used to be in 2024 when Tia was discussing her 2022 divorce from Cory Hardrict. On an episode of ​​ "Tia Mowry: My Next Act" on We TV, Tia said, "[I wish] I could pick up the phone and call her, but that's just not where we are right now" (via US Weekly). Some followers took to social media to express their opinion on Tia's statement with some being surprised and others saying they saw the demise in the relationship coming.

Tia later clarified to US Weekly that her comment about being close with her sister was about accessibility and not about their bond. "In these transitions in life, sometimes you just want a hug and you just want someone to be as accessible as they used to be, and that is not the case," while explaining that she and Tamera have a "beautiful connection." Tamera revealed to People in November 2024 that she and her sister planned to Christmas together along with their families.

In early 2019, Tia and Tamera Mowry lost their grandmother, Cloretha "Clo" Richardson, and they both publicly mourned her death on social media. On Mowry's Instagram page, she wrote: "You went on to see the Lord this morning and I'm so happy I got to see you. I thank God." The actor further expressed her love for her grandmother while saying she felt heartbroken about the loss. 

Tamera made her own Instagram post and indicated via hashtag that their grandmother died from cancer. She wrote: "You are the strongest person I know. You are the matriarch of our family. Every good thing trickles down from you." She further mentioned that she admired how her grandmother loved their "Heavenly Father" while saying how much she loved her. The stars' grandmother's death came just two months after Tamera suffered the sad loss of her niece, Alaina Housley. Fans of the "Sister, Sister" twins offered condolences and words of support in the comments of their social media posts.

Tia and Tamera Mowry have experienced individual tragedies. In October 2022, Tia shocked many of her fans when she announced her divorce from actor Cory Hardrict, in an Instagram post. The two wed in 2008 after dating for six years and welcomed two children — Cree and Cairo Hardrict — during their years together. Yet, irreconcilable differences caused the couple to split; the divorce was finalized six months after the couple filed.

When Tia announced her divorce on social media, she said: "These decisions are never easy, and not without sadness. We will maintain a friendship as we co-parent our beautiful children." She further explained that she was happy for the time she and her ex-husband shared. Since their split, Hardrict has told Entertainment Tonight that remembering "unconditional love" can help anyone escape a situation like his. Additionally, the actress exclusively told E News in October 2024 that she  was not looking for a new relationship yet and was dating herself.

Unlike her sister Tia Mowry, Tamera Mowry's marriage remains intact, though it has not been without its challenges. In May 2011, Tamera married her Fox News correspondent Adam Housley in Napa Valley. Since their marriage, Tamera has had to defend her husband, since fans were upset she married outside of her race, as revealed in a 2014 interview with Oprah (via the Daily Mail). "I get called 'white man's whore.' The new one was 'back in the day you cost $300, but now you're giving it to him for free," Tamera said, recalling comments that were made about her online.

In 2018, Tamera addressed rumors that her husband was racist because of his affiliation with Fox. While on an episode of "The Real," she said, "I'm gonna look in that camera right there and let everybody know my husband is not a racist." The clip of her statement was posted by the talk show on their YouTube page and many of the comments agreed that the media correspondent is not racist, but out of touch with Black reality. One comment said, "Her husband may not be racist but he is definitely misguided and ignorant on a lot of social issues. And considering that he has two children of color...he should be open to LEARNING and UNLEARNING as much as he can."

In 2022, Tamera told E! News that the constant attack on her marriage was "terrifying", but contributed to strengthening her relationship with her husband. "We know who we are as people. So you just turn inward and you focus on your love for each other and you focus on your circle of amazing supporters and people," she said.