Tisha Campbell Opens Up About Finding Herself Again After Divorce
Tisha Campbell has a new show on Netflix called Uncoupled which stars Neil Patrick Harris as his character learns to rebuild his life after a breakup with his long-term partner. While Tisha’s character may not be going through a breakup, the veteran actress has had a similar experience in real life. The Martin star divorced the L.A.’s Finest star Duane Martin after 22 years of marriage and 27 years together in total. Soon after the divorce was finalized, Tisha claimed that Duane left her with $7 to her name but now she is in the restoration phase of her life.
The beloved actress sat down with Hot 97’s Ebro in the Morning and talked about life after divorce.
“One of the things that goes through your mind is who am I outside of this person?” she said. “I took marriage, my wifely duties…and being a mother, that was at the forefront of everything. Career came second. I had to find myself.”
Tisha began acting in her childhood and has had memorable and iconic roles throughout her extensive career in films like School Daze and House Party as well as TV shows like My Wife and Kids and Martin. The 53-year-old is also a mother to two boys, 20-year-old Xen, and 12-year-old Ezekial. Her divorce was finalized in 2020 and during that time she shared that she went through the “five stages of grief.”
“It was complete devastation. It was disbelief, it was anger at times. It was literally five stages of grief, and then there was more than acceptance,” she said. “It was acceptance of myself, I’m stronger than I really knew, and it was getting rid of any baggage, setting boundaries for myself.”
But the actress was able to get to the other side of the grief and focus on what she loves, which is entertaining people. Along with her new Netflix series, she also joined Martin Lawrence and the cast of the 90’s hit show Martin for a reunion, and last year, she and her bestie Tichina Arnold hosted the 2021 Soul Train Awards.
“God kept giving me something. He kept paving the way for me and kept gifting me all these wonderful miracles,” she said. “I never understood what faith was until I was at absolute zero. I thought faith was getting on your knees, praying, and getting up and doing the work until I could not do anything and my hands were tied behind my back, or up in the air, and there was nothing I could do. That’s when I understood, things were going to work out because He’s going to work it out.”
For years, Tisha had been known both professionally and personally as the hyphenated Tisha Campbell-Martin. In May of this year, she made the decision to change her last name back to her maiden name, Tisha Campbell. In an interview with Bustle, she shared, "When you first break up, there are a lot of different feelings. Some people might feel anger, some people might feel vengeful, and some people might feel uncomfortable because there are a lot of lows when it first happens.”
She continued, “But then you start to understand the journey, and how beautiful it is when you come out of it and how hopeful the future is. When you discover yourself — your true self — oh my god, it’s so sexy! It really is. Yo, I’m so joyful. Joy is a badass bitch.”
Real Talk w/ Tisha Campbell On Moving Forward, Martin, Putting Yourself First + Success
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ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Sheila Rashid's Androgynous Approach To Unisex Clothing Is A Lesson In Embracing Individuality
The ItGirl 100 List is a celebration of 100 Black women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table.
For Sheila Rashid, it all started with some free-hand drawings and a few strokes of paint.
The Chicago-based clothing designer and creative director of Sheila Rashid Brand recalls using her spare time in high school to hand paint designs on t-shirts and distressed hoodies, distributing them to classmates as walking billboards for her art.
Rashid sought to pursue fashion design at Columbia College in Chicago but eventually took the self-taught route to build upon her knack for crafting one-of-a-kind, androgynous pieces.
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Thanks to the mentorship of local designers taking her under their wings, Rashid was able to gain valuable experience in putting together collections and creating patterns; equipping her with them with the necessary skills to pursue her own collections.
After two years of living in New York, Rashid returned home to the Chi and uncovered the unique flair she could offer the city. “I moved to New York after that because I wanted to be in the fashion capital world,” she tells xoNecole. “That's when I really got a leg up. I found myself when I moved back to Chicago after moving to New York.”
For the Midwest native, inspiration comes from her time around creative peers and the city’s notorious winters — known to be a main character in many Chicagoans stories. “It's a different perspective and mindset when I'm making stuff because of the weather here,” she explains. “When we get summer, it’s ‘Summertime Chi’ — it's amazing. It's beautiful. Still, I find myself always making clothes that cater to the winter.”
"I moved to New York after that because I wanted to be in the fashion capital world. That's when I really got a leg up. I found myself when I moved back to Chicago after moving to New York.”
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Many designers have a signature aesthetic or theme in their creations. In Rashid’s design story, dancing between the lines of femininity and masculinity is how she’s been able to distinguish herself within the industry. Her androgynous clothing has garnered the eye of celebrities like Zendaya, Chance the Rapper, WNBA star Sydney Colson, and more — showing her range and approach to designs with inclusivity in mind.
“I think I do reflect my own style,” she says. “When I do make pieces, I'm very tomboyish, androgynous. My work is unisex because I feel like everybody can wear it. I cater to everybody and that's how I try to approach my clothes.” From denim to overalls, and color-drenched outerwear, Rashid has mastered the structure of statement pieces that tell a story.
“Each collection, I never know what's going to be the thing I'm going to focus on. I try to reflect my own style and have fun with the storytelling,” she shares. “I look at it more like it's my art in this small way of expressing myself, so it's not that calculated.”
"My work is unisex because I feel like everybody can wear it. I cater to everybody and that's how I try to approach my clothes."
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Still, if you were able to add up all the moments within Rashid’s 20-year career in design, one theme that has multiplied her into becoming an “ItGirl” is her confidence to take up space within the fashion industry as a queer, Black woman. “Being an ItGirl is about being yourself, loving what you do, finding your niche, and mastering that,” she says.
No matter where you are on your ItGirl journey, Rashid says to always remain persistent and never hesitate to share your art with the world. “Don’t give up. Even if it's something small, finish it and don't be afraid to put it out,” she says, “It's about tackling your own fear of feeling like you have to please everybody, but just please yourself, and that's good enough.”
To learn more about the ItGirl 100 List, view the full list here.
Featured image Courtesy