Tisha Campbell appeared on the PEOPLE Every Day podcast and talked about reconnecting with Martin Lawrence following a sexual harassment lawsuit in 1997 that led to Martin’s abrupt ending.
The 53-year-old actress reunited with her costars Wednesday night for the premiere of Martin: The Reunion to celebrate the popular ’90s sitcom and honor the late Thomas Mikal Ford, who played the witty yet mysterious Tommy Strawn. He died in 2016 at age 52.
While Cambell admitted she was “really, really nervous” to come together with her fellow costars, she called it a moment of “celebration” and hoped fans still resonated with the show after three decades since it ended.
“I hope people embrace it as much as they say they do,” she said. “I wasn’t nervous about getting together with the cast, ’cause we are still friends.”
Campbell said she and her costars didn’t realize how much of an impact the show had on viewers until much later.
“We didn’t think of it like that. We just didn’t,” she said Thursday to the Washington Post. “We were there to feed our families and have a good show and make people laugh.”
Cambell revealed she and Lawrence have moved past the sexual harassment allegations, noting they’ve “healed” from the situation.
“Everything else is a personal situation that we’ve all healed from,” she said. “So we’re not even gonna talk about it.”
The 57-year-old also shared his thoughts on reconciling with Campbell during the premiere.
“It is nothing but love with me and her. It’s nothing but love,” he told People Magazine in an exclusive.
Carl Payne, who played Cole Brown, believed the sitcom would have lasted a bit longer given the circumstances at the time.
“I mean, you know, every family has its drama. Every family has its trials and tribulations and things like that. And every good thing must come to an end,” said the actor, 53. “I think it could have gone on longer, but it is what it is until it ain’t.”
The comedy series debuted on Fox in August 1992 and ran for four seasons before ending in 1997. Cambell and Lawrence appeared to be good friends until the actress accused Lawrence of sexual harassment. Campbell agreed to return for a fifth and final season under strict conditions, including shooting scenes without Lawrence being present on the set.
In the suit, Lawrence was charged with “repeated and escalating sexual harassment, sexual battery, verbal abuse, and related threats.” However, both parties later settled out of court.
Martin: The Reunion is available for streaming on BET+, featuring Campbell, Lawrence, Payne, and Tichina Arnold.
