Tisha Campbell shares why she will always be loyal to Martin Lawrence.
When asked about her memories of the “Martin” show in a recent interview, Campbell was quick to explain her loyalty to Lawrence.
”You survived ‘Martin, ‘ the show. And I know there’s not much you can talk about,” she was asked.
“Let me just stop you. Well, I’m a stop you, right? Never have I ever said a bad, unkind thing about the show, about Martin Lawrence, and I never will. I will protect him till the day I die,” Campbell responded. “I don’t care what people think about me till the day I die, and I will never say a bad or unkind word to any media outlet ever. That person needs protection, and I will protect him till I die.”
In 1997, Campbell abruptly left the series during its fifth season, effectively ending the hit show Martin. Later, she filed a lawsuit that alleged sexual harassment, sexual battery, verbal abuse, and physical threats both on and off the set. Campbell was married to Duane Martin at the time.
She claimed Lawrence’s behavior became increasingly “manic and volatile.” The suit stated there was unwanted touching and forced intimacy during scenes. While the suit was settled out of court in April 1997, Campbell only agreed to return for the two-part series finale, where she and Lawrence would never be on set at the same time—a logistical feat that required them to film their scenes separately.
Speaking with PEOPLE before the premiere of Martin: The Reunion on BET+, Campbell stated that everyone has moved on.
”Everything else is a personal situation that we’ve all healed from,” she said. “So we’re not even gonna talk about it.”
Lawrence added, “It is nothing but love with her and me. It’s nothing but love.”
”I mean, you know, every family has its drama. Every family has its trials and tribulations and things like that,” Carl Payne said. “And every good thing must come to an end. I think it could have gone on longer, but it is what it is until it ain’t.”