Tamera Mowry Returns to ‘The Real’ for First Appearance Since Niece Died in Thousand Oaks Shooting

Tamera Mowry-Housley received a warm welcome upon her return to The Real two weeks after she and husband Adam Housley’s niece Alaina was killed in the deadly mass shooting at the Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks, California.

On Monday, the Sister, Sister alum reunited with cohosts Jeannie Mai, Loni Love, and Adrienne Bailon for her first appearance on the daytime talk show since confirming that her niece was among the victims of the deadly shooting earlier this month.

During her emotional return episode, she opened up about her loss, informing her co-hosts and the audience that she is “ok.”

“I’m OK.…I’m sorry,” she said. “Our family’s been through a lot, but the interesting thing about grief is that you’ve gotta find the balance of moving forward and grieving at the same time. It’s just been a little over two weeks…she would want me to be here. And she would want me…sweet Alaina…to move forward. I don’t like to say move on, because I don’t think I’ll ever move on with the fact that she’s not here with me or with our family.

“But she would want me to move forward and to use her voice as a catalyst for change, and that’s why I am here today,” she continued. “And I just appreciate the outpouring love and support from everybody. That sweet 18-year-old girl impacted people in such a positive way, and that’s how we’ve been able to move on, the love as my beautiful sister-in-law Hannah said at my niece’s memorial, that’s what we need more today love.”

Mowry, who confirmed her niece’s death via a joint statement with her husband on Nov. 8, went on to speak of gun violence and the necessary change that needs to occur to prevent more mass shootings.

“It’s obvious that we need change when it comes to gun violence. I don’t care if I have to knock on the doors of the White House to do it,” she said. “Alaina was very sweet and loving and kind. She was also a debater. So she would want me to debate that. But also, I believe that it starts from within. Our country, and it’s sad to say this, but you have to be living underneath a rock to not believe these words, our country is sick. It’s diseased. If it needs healing. It needs healing from within. We are so divided.”

Alaina, the youngest victim of the Bordeline shooting, was laid to rest on Nov. 15. A foundation has since been set up in Alaina’s honor, Alaina’s Voice, with a focus on mental health and preventing more tragedies.