Tisha Campbell Speaks out on Martin Lawrence Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Ahead of 'Martin' Reunion

By Daniel S. Levine

Tisha Campbell and Martin Lawrence reconnected recently for BET+'s upcoming Martin reunion, 25 years after the series ended. The sitcom's last episode aired in 1997, months after Campbell quit the show and filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Lawrence. The two "worked really hard to forgive and reconnect," Campbell told CBS This Morning anchor Gayle King Monday.

"We worked really hard to reconnect, to forgive and it's really... this reunion is about a celebration of everything that we did, everything we accomplished, and our growth as human beings," Campbell told King. "And so we concentrated mostly on that."

Martin ran for five seasons on Fox, airing between August 1992 and May 1997. Lawrence played Martin Payne, a Detroit DJ, and Campbell starred as his girlfriend-turned-wife, Gina Waters-Payne. Thomas Mikal Ford and Tichina Arnold also starred in all five seasons.

After Martin wrapped, PEOPLE reported Campbell abruptly quit the sitcom, and producers sued her to force her to come back. She filed a counter-suit, accusing Lawrence of "repeated and escalating sexual harassment, sexual battery, verbal abuse, and related threats." Both sides reached an out-of-court settlement that included Campbell agreeing to film the last episodes of the show, as long as she and Lawrence didn't film any of their scenes together.

Lawrence addressed the allegations in a January 2020 interview with GQ. He said the allegations were not true, and he decided it was time to end the show at five seasons. "We don't need to talk about something that just didn't happen. So I just decided to walk away from the show," Lawrence said. "I just decided to end it. People said that I got canceled, but that wasn't the case. I decided to just leave the show." Lawrence later said he has "nothing but love for" Campbell.

Although Martin's run was short, the show has lived on through repeats and is now available to stream on HBO Max. "I think people really resonated with the fact that we were two young people in love," Campbell told King when asked about the show's enduring legacy. "Two young Black couples, 'cause all we really had was Claire and Cliff. And so to see that, to see two young people trying to figure it out with their friends... I think that's what really made people love the show and really embrace it." Martin: The Reunion will be released on BET+ Thursday.

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