Tia Mowry Details Why She Isn’t Getting Her Kids Christmas Gifts

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Tia Mowry is prioritizing what feels authentic to her, and that means letting go of one long-held Christmas tradition.

Tia Mowry, known from Sister, Sister, is focusing on creating memories with her children, Cree, 14, and Cairo, 7, rather than a lot of gifts this holiday season. She shared in an interview with TopMob News that she’s prioritizing experiences for them.

While the 47-year-old isn’t forgoing Christmas magic entirely, she’s putting her own spin on gifts. 

Tia, who co-parents with Cory Hardict, shared that her family used to focus heavily on presents under the Christmas tree, which she says is wonderful for children. However, she’s realized that traditions centered around experiences create longer-lasting memories.

Tia shared that when she thinks back on Christmases with her twin sister Tamera Mowry, and brothers Tahj Mowry, 39, and Tavior Mowry, 32, it’s not the presents she remembers most.

I don’t remember what presents I received when I was a teenager, but I do cherish the memories made during family trips. I’d like to focus on creating more experiences like that during the holidays.

Tia has taken her children on amazing trips to places like Thailand, France, and Disneyland. She also keeps many other beloved holiday traditions alive, beyond just the excitement of opening presents on Christmas morning.

Oh my gosh, Tia was just gushing about how much she loves all the classic Christmas things! She was saying how she absolutely lives for sweet treats and decorating the tree, and honestly, listening to Christmas carols? It’s a total tradition for her, she said, and I just get it, you know? It’s everything!

Tia loves watching Christmas movies with her family, and this year she’s especially excited to share a new side of herself as an actress in her own film, My Secret Santa, which premieres on Netflix December 3rd.

As a mom, I’m thrilled this is a film the whole family can enjoy! We’ve already marked December 3rd on the calendar for a cozy movie night with hot cocoa. And honestly, it’s just a really fun project to be a part of. My character definitely has a bit of a mischievous side – she’s a little bit of a ‘mean girl’ – but I made sure to bring my own humor to the role. I’m glad I could infuse her with a funny personality!

This holiday season, Tia is using family time to focus on important health conversations. She’s partnering with Pfizer and the American Cancer Society for their “Rewrite the Recipe” campaign to help spread awareness.

Tia is talking with people in the Black community who have personal experience with cancer – either they’ve had it themselves or a family member has. They’re discussing the difficult aspects of the disease.

Tia understands that talking about difficult topics like family health isn’t easy, especially since she’s lost loved ones to cancer. However, she believes these conversations are crucial for breaking the cycle and ensuring her own children are aware of their family’s health risks.

Knowing your family history can be incredibly powerful and really change the course of your life, she explained. She’s now focused on gaining the strength, courage, and knowledge to pass down to her children, ensuring they’ll benefit from this information and share it with future generations as well.

For more candid admissions from Tia and her sister, keep reading… 

Tia Mowry is responding to criticism she received after referring to herself as a “single mom,” even though she continues to co-parent her two children, 14-year-old Cree and 7-year-old Cairo, with her ex-husband, Cory Hardrict, who she finalized a divorce from in 2023. In a recent Instagram post, Tia explained that families come in many forms and can still be loving and stable. She clarified that being a “single mom” doesn’t necessarily mean raising children completely alone, and acknowledged that situation is incredibly challenging. However, she wanted to share her own experience: while she and Cory co-parent, she’s currently the only parent living with and primarily responsible for her children day-to-day, making her feel like a single parent in her current household.

Following her divorce from Cory Hardrict in April 2023, actress Tia Mowry began to reflect on starting a new, independent life. On the premiere of her reality show, Tia Mowry: My Next Act, which launched in October 2024, she explained that, considering her twin sister Tamera, she’d never truly been alone. She described it as a significant life transition, noting she went straight from being born with a twin into a 22-year relationship. Tia and Cory first met in 1999 while filming the movie Hollywood Horror. Their connection began as a friendship but eventually blossomed into romance, with Tia sharing that Cory was her first love and her first everything. She revealed on her We TV series that she met Cory when she was 20 years old and waited until she was 25 to lose her virginity, adding that they then got married soon after.

Tia and Cory got married in 2008 and have two children: a son named Cree, born in 2011, and a daughter named Cairo, born in 2018.

In 2022, Tia and Cory separated. Though Tia initially stated “irreconcilable differences” as the cause of their divorce, she later explained when she realized her marriage was ending.

I’ve been a longtime fan of Tia Mowry, and I was so moved by what she shared recently. She talked about realizing when she truly started prioritizing her own happiness, and it really resonated with me. She explained that as women, we often get caught up in taking care of everyone else – our kids, family, friends – making sure they’re okay. But she discovered it all comes down to self-love. Once she started focusing on herself, loving herself, and recognizing her own worth, she said it was like a real awakening. She admitted it wasn’t easy, it was a tough journey, but ultimately so worth it. She also shared that after finally being honest with herself about her divorce, she wanted to be honest with everyone else too. She was just tired of pretending everything was perfect when it wasn’t, and she wanted to live authentically. It was so inspiring to hear her talk about finally embracing her truth.

Tia also thought about how the divorce would impact her children, Cree and Cairo. In an interview with HelloBeautiful in June 2023, she explained that a big part of her decision was for them – she wanted them to see her living authentically. She believes it’s a valuable lesson, even though it was incredibly difficult. She wants them to know that even when things are hard, their mother persevered and followed her heart, and that she’s living a life true to herself. Ultimately, Tia hopes her children will be inspired to pursue their own paths as well.

She continued, explaining that she wants her children to truly live their own lives, not the lives she or others expect of them. Her greatest wish is for them to understand that it’s okay to experience setbacks, pursue happiness, and be authentic, even if it means going against the grain.

Though Tia and Tamera Mowry have been on television for years, they aren’t currently as close as they once were. Tia recently shared that going through her divorce has been difficult, and she misses having her sister to lean on. She explained that she wishes she could call Tamera for support, but they’re not currently in that place in their relationship.

Tia explained that she and her sister have grown apart due to living separate lives – different cities, families, and individual needs. While they remain close, a source confirmed their original conversation centered on the distance between them, as Tamera lives in Napa and Tia in Los Angeles. Tia later clarified she meant they aren’t as readily available to each other due to the distance, but views this as both a positive and a difficult aspect of their relationship.

Tamera was surprised to learn about Tia’s return to reality TV at the same time as the fans. She told Entertainment Tonight in May 2024 that she hadn’t known beforehand. When asked if she’d make an appearance on Tia’s show, Tamera said Tia hadn’t asked her, which she took to mean she wouldn’t be involved. However, Tamera seemed okay with that, explaining that Tia wants this to be her own story, and she respects that. Tia also downplayed the lack of a heads-up, telling the Associated Press in October 2024 that it’s normal to not share every detail with everyone, and it doesn’t signify any issues between them. They’re both simply living their own lives.

Tia and Tamera have often discussed the challenges in their relationship. During their reality show, Tia & Tamera, which aired from 2011 to 2013, they even went to counseling to improve how they talked to each other. Tamera explained on the 2019 talk show The Real that their different personalities made communication difficult. She described herself as sensitive, while her sister is more assertive and self-sufficient, and they needed to find a way to communicate positively and effectively.

Growing up with my twin sister, Tia, I always knew people would compare us – it just comes with being identical twins! It’s natural, you know? People automatically look for differences – ‘Oh, one has a rounder face, the other is taller, one is more outgoing, the other a bit quieter.’ For a long time, I didn’t really mind. But as I got older, especially when I started college and working in television, those comparisons really started to bother me, and it became genuinely hurtful. It got to the point where I could find all sorts of negative comparisons online. Thankfully, my mom gave me some amazing advice: ‘Comparison is the thief of joy.’ It really hit home. Even though we’re twins, we’re both unique individuals created with different talents and gifts, and that’s something to celebrate! We share DNA, but we’re not meant to be carbon copies of each other.

Similar to Tia sharing details about her relationship with Cory, Tamera has also offered fans a look into her marriage with Adam Housley. She’s described him as the love of her life, but acknowledges that, like all couples, they go through good times and challenges.

Tamera, who married Adam in 2011, recently told TopMob News in May 2024, “Thirteen years feels like it’s flown by. You’re bound to have ups and downs in any marriage. Ours isn’t perfect, but I still really like him as a person, and we’re continuing to grow closer, not further apart.” They also make a conscious effort to communicate and support each other.

Tamera, who has two children, Aden and Ariah, with her husband Adam, suggests regularly checking in with your partner. She says to simply ask, ‘Are you happy?’ and ‘What can we do to stay happy together?’ She explains that she doesn’t just want a long marriage, but a happy long marriage.

Tamera and Adam, married for over ten years, apparently still prioritize intimacy in their relationship. In a 2022 interview on The Jennifer Hudson Show, Tamera explained that setting sexual goals is key to a happy marriage, and she believes women shouldn’t be afraid to talk about what they want. In her memoir, You Should Sit Down for This, she even shared a list of adventurous locations where she’d like to be intimate – from a skyscraper rooftop to inside every room of her house, and even in a car during the rain, as reported by Today.

As a lifestyle expert, I always encourage women to embrace all aspects of themselves, and that includes their relationships and intimacy! I believe it’s so important to take ownership of your desires and never feel like passion has an expiration date. Just because you’ve been with someone for a long time doesn’t mean you should settle or lose that spark – nurture it and enjoy it!

Tamera Mowry-Housley has opened up about her experiences during her first four years on The Real, describing it as a very difficult time in her life. In her memoir, she shared that the demanding schedule, constant travel, and public attention caused her significant anxiety and led to unhealthy coping mechanisms.

Despite these challenges, Tamera also cherishes her seven years on the show and fondly remembers the connections she made. When she announced her departure in 2020, she highlighted the lasting friendships and the impact of the people she interviewed. She expressed pride in the show’s accomplishments, including two NAACP Image Awards and a Daytime Emmy.

With the recent trend of ’90s shows being revived, many fans have been hoping for a reboot of Sister, Sister. However, Tia and Tamera Mowry have explained that bringing the show back isn’t simple. In 2017, Tia shared on The Real that they had been working on it for months but acknowledged there were limitations to what they could do. More recently, in May 2024, Tamera confirmed to Us Weekly that a revival is no longer in the works.

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2025-11-28 16:18