Kenya Barris and his wife, Dr. Rania “Rainbow” Edwards-Barris, are ending their longtime relationship for the third time!
The award-winning TV producer, best known for creating the ABC sitcom “Black-ish” and its famous spin-offs, recently filed for divorce from his wife of over 20 years.
PEOPLE confirmed the shocking news after obtaining legal documents from the Los Angeles Superior Court, where the filmmaker officially pulled the plug on his marriage.
Kenya Barris Files For Divorce, Citing ‘Irreconcilable Differences’
On June 1, the “Grown-ish” creator moved to end his over a decade-long relationship with the renowned anesthesiologist that blessed the soon-to-be-former couple with six children.
This marked the second time the Inglewood native has filed for divorce. At the same time, his estranged wife previously tried to sever their marriage in 2014 before retracting her filing less than a year later following the pair’s reconciliation.
It seemed it was only a matter of time before the ex-couple parted ways as the court documents revealed that the parents of six had been separated since 2020.
As for why Kenya filed for divorce, the 47-year-old cited “irreconcilable differences,” seemingly wishing to end things swiftly by requesting joint and legal custody of their children plus paying Rania spousal support.
Although the once dynamic duo were ending their iconic relationship nearly 23 years after tieing the knot in 1999, the pair’s love story would forever be remembered as the inspiration for the “Black-ish” sitcom’s central relationship.
Aside from drawing in millions of viewers, Hollywood sensations Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis have earned several Emmy nominations for playing the series’ main couple Andre “Dre” Johnson and Rainbow “Bow” Johnson.
Since the pair were based on the scriptwriter’s rollercoaster marriage to the anesthesiologist, the 4th season of the ABC show featured Dre and Bow’s relationship problems.
At the time, Rania revealed that she implored her then-husband to add this emotional period to the series, noting that the producer owed fans the truth.
The “Mixed-ish” creator also spoke about his character’s marital struggles, confessing that he always wanted to show real-world situations on TV because he never saw couples fight in the family sitcoms he watched as a child.
The father-of-six knew all about fighting in a relationship as his marriage had experienced its fair share of hiccups in the past.
In 2020, The Blast reported that the “Shaft” movie executive producer withdrew his request for divorce after filing to end things the previous year.
At the time, the Inglewood native listed “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for separation and even opened up about his marital issues weeks before dismissing the divorce filing.
While appearing on T.I’s “expediTIously” podcast, the “Girls Trip” scriptwriter explained that most couples did not make it, noting that the end of a relationship was part of life.
The 47-year-old admitted that his divorce was the “toughest thing” he had endured and hoped by talking about his situation, other couples would realize that they were not alone.
The “Black-ish” Series Broke Hearts With Its Emotional Divorce 4th Season
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As shared by CBR, the 4th season of “Black-ish” was a difficult pill for fans to swallow as the sitcom’s iconic couple nearly ended their marriage.
With eight seasons under its belt, the ABC show has earned numerous awards for portraying the problematic sides of life, particularly the struggles of a Black family in America.
By using comedy to showcase these rough parts, the series naturally became a success that made viewers crack up in each episode. However, everything changed with the 4th season’s divorce arc.
Instead of laughter, fans were stuck at the edge of their seats, fighting back the tears as they watched Dre and Bow’s once-dynamic relationship fall apart with frequent fights.
The longtime pair, whose differences used to be the foundation of their relationship, suddenly no longer knew how to communicate with each other as their bond broke each episode.
Eventually, the couple drifted apart and decided to end their marriage with Dre leaving the house, a heartbreaking moment that left many in agony.
Fortunately, after the rollercoaster series of sad and difficult moments, the Season 4 finale reunited the beloved couple together after the death of Bow’s father helped bridge the gap between them.
