After 14 years of marriage, the Sister, Sister performer, and the American Sniper actor announced their divorce on Tuesday in a heartfelt Instagram post. As I’ve always been honest with my fans, so am I today, said Mowry. “Cory and I have decided to part ways, so I wanted to let you know. These choices are never simple and are often difficult to make.”
They intend to “keep a friendship as we co-parent our lovely children,” Mowry wrote alongside a black-and-white image of the couple holding hands. She and Hardrict, who got married in 2008, have two children together: son Cree, age 11, and daughter Cairo, age 4.
I am grateful for all the wonderful times we shared together,” Mowry said in her closing statement. “I want to thank my friends, family, and fans for their love and support as we begin this new chapter going ahead in our lives.”
Mowry and Hardrict’s spokesman declined to say further.
Using the grounds of irreconcilable differences and asking for shared physical and legal custody of their children, Mowry filed for divorce from Hardrict in Los Angeles on Tuesday, according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE. In addition, Mowry, who married Hardrict under a prenuptial agreement, is requesting that spousal support be stopped.
On the set of the independent film Hollywood Horror in 1999, Mowry and Hardrict first connected. In a 2017 YouTube video, Hardrict described how he first met Tia while waiting for the bus. “I was waiting for the bus, Tia and her sister gave me a lift home down to Inglewood, and we got cool ever since then,” he said.
Before beginning a romance, the two spent a year as pals. We were simply friends for an entire year, according to Mowry, who added that they didn’t even kiss or go on dates. “And then, following that year, we began dating, which was in 2000.”
Hardrict described the moment he realized Mowry was the one while talking about their relationship in the video. He recalled, “I knew Tia was the one for me when she was in my corner when I moved to Inglewood and I had, like, two pairs of drawers to my name. “I had no wealth. She loved me for who I am even though I had nothing and everything was appreciated for what it was. Then I understood that she would become my wife once I was in a better financial position and could afford to purchase her a ring.”
When Mowry first met Hardrict, she had just recently ended a “bad relationship,” she said. He simply had a ton of patience with me, she said.
