Tia Mowry Says Loss Of Loved Ones Inspired Her Search For Truth That Led To Divorce

Tia Mowry is owning up to her truth as she sheds light on the reasons that led to her divorce from Cory Hardrict.

As you may recall, the pair, who got married in 2008 and birthed two children they share, Cree, 11, and Cairo, 5, shocked the world last October after Mowry announced on her Instagram that the couple would be going their separate ways.

As of April 24, 2023, the pair legally finalized their divorce after 14 years of marriage and have a binding agreement regarding caring for their children equally.

The mom of two opened up on her healing journey to Hello Beautiful after agreeing to feature in a cover story for the magazine. Following her separation from the "All American: Homecoming" actor, Mowry revealed that "splitting up with her husband was a long time coming."

She began, "I love being a wife. But I am understanding that tradition could be a blessing and a curse. What I mean by that is tradition warrants for no change, whereas change is constant."

Regarding the subject of change, she explained that it happened when she was hit with the news of her grandmother's passing, who died in January 2019. The "Sister, Sister" actress who was not anticipating this change declared,

 "I was very, very close to my grandmother. She lived such a long life. Then, I had never gone to a funeral of a family member. It's different. I had to see someone that I had loved and thought was never going to go, even though she was older. I kept thinking, 'She ain't going. She going to be here forever.'"

Unfortunately for the "Twitches'' actress, life dealt her a low blow two months prior, as she began grieving the death of another close family member — "Alaina Housley," her twin sister's niece, who was murdered in a Thousand Oaks, California bar shooting that left 12 people dead. 

The painful loss she experienced after saying goodbye to two significant people in her life set her on a trajectory of finding peace with herself.  In her words, "That woke me up. I asked myself, 'Tia, are you happy?' And I said, I truly need to find my peace and my happiness. That's when I went to therapy."

She added, "I just started to begin to blossom, evolve, learn, and grow. That was like the aha moment. The pivotal moment where I was like, you know what? It's time to really start living your truth."

When she was asked by the interviewer if "this was around the time that she and Cory decided they were better apart than together," she replied, "Oh, this was years before that actually. This was maybe five years before I decided to make my decision."

Mowry clarified, "It took me that long to process everything and realize that it's okay. Change is constant. It's okay that if something is no longer aligned or serving you, it's okay to let go."The doting mom also revealed that her two children served as an inspiration, making her opt for the tough decision of filing for a divorce.

She remarked, "A part of my decision was also for them. 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.  It was one of the hardest decisions that I had ever had to make in my entire life. But if they see that mommy can do it, that mommy, no matter what people say, no matter, even if there's some sort of doubt, whatever, mommy pushed through."

The former Disney star admitted that she wanted her kids to proudly say she is living her truth, describing it as "the best gift I can give them." Mowry also hopes that through her example, they are not afraid to live their lives only for themselves.

"I want for them not to live a life that I want them to live, for them not to live a life that everybody else wants them to live or what they think that they should be or live. I want them to see that it is okay to have a bad day. I want them to see that it is okay to chase your joy. I want them to see that it is okay to live your truth." 

Notwithstanding that Mowry's separation from her ex arose from agonizing circumstances, the mom of two seems to be doing well for herself and is flourishing as a single woman!

In April, the 44-year-old took to her Instagram to convey her excitement over her empowerment and growth after her divorce from her former partner was completed. She uploaded videos of herself gyrating to the tune of Dj Mimo Prod's "Family Affair Vai No Tira E Bota," dressed in multiple outfits at different intervals.

Adding a note to the playful clip, she wrote, "This is your weekly reminder to dance it out 💕." She further penned in the caption, "Celebrating myself today and every day because I am powerful, kind, creative, and all the things that make me, me"!