Tisha Campbell is an American actress, singer, dancer, comedian, and producer. She was born on October 13, 1968, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and raised in Newark, New Jersey. Campbell built her name playing Gina Waters-Payne on “Martin” and later Janet “Jay” Kyle on “My Wife and Kids.” Her career now spans five decades in Hollywood and the wider entertainment industry. She has worked steadily through sitcoms, films, and music, while also facing very public financial and personal setbacks. This profile covers her full career, her marriage and divorce, her bankruptcy, and where her net worth actually stands heading into 2026.
Who Is Tisha Campbell? (Early Life & Background)
Tisha Michelle Campbell grew up with five siblings in Newark, New Jersey, after being born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on October 13, 1968. Her father, Clifton Campbell, worked as a factory worker, sang, and played competitive chess as a hobby. Her mother, Mona Campbell, worked as a nurse and talent manager, and also sang gospel music while coaching young vocalists. Music filled the house early, which shaped Campbell’s path toward performing.
She attended Newark Arts High School before continuing her training at the Washington Academy of Music. Later, she studied at the Art Institute of Atlanta to sharpen her performance skills. That combination of formal training and family influence gave her a strong foundation before she ever stepped in front of a camera.
By age 16, Campbell had already landed her first film role. She finished high school and moved to Hollywood soon after, ready to turn her early training into a full acting career.
Childhood Talent & First TV Roles
Campbell’s first television appearance came at age six, in a 1974 episode of the PBS show “The Big Blue Marble.” The segment showed her singing at a jazz concert in Greenwich Village and spending time with her brother. That early exposure led to more children’s programming, including “Kids Are People Too,” “Unicorn Tales,” and “Captain Kangaroo.”
She also entered and won several talent shows as a child. By age 17, she had a role in “Little Shop of Horrors,” playing Chiffon in a girl group modeled after The Supremes and known as the Greek Chorus. Her castmate in that film, Tichina Arnold, would go on to become her closest friend in the industry.
Acting Career — Television
Martin (1992–1997): Gina Waters-Payne
Campbell joined the cast of “Martin” on Fox in 1992, playing Gina Waters-Payne opposite Martin Lawrence in the title role. The sitcom made her a household name almost overnight. But the show’s fifth season brought serious trouble. In November 1996, tension between Campbell and Lawrence became public. By January 1997, she had filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against him and left the set.
The two sides settled the lawsuit out of court, and Campbell returned only for a two-part series finale filmed in April 1997. She appears in 122 of the show’s 132 total episodes. Years passed before the story had a real resolution. In a January 2020 interview with GQ, Lawrence addressed the fallout directly. Campbell responded with a message on Instagram on January 17, 2020, closing the chapter publicly. Her character’s catchphrases from the show, especially “Damn Gina,” still circulate online as internet trends and fan recreations today.
My Wife and Kids (2001–2005): Janet “Jay” Kyle
Campbell returned to network television on ABC’s “My Wife and Kids,” playing Janet “Jay” Marie Johnson-Kyle opposite Damon Wayans. The show, produced through Touchstone Television, ran from 2001 to 2005. Her performance earned her the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series, cementing her as one of the most recognizable actresses on the small screen.
Other Television Roles & Recent Work (2008–2026)
Campbell kept working steadily after “My Wife and Kids” ended. She played Patty on Lifetime’s “Rita Rocks” from 2008 to 2009, then Michelle Dulcett on “The Protector” in 2011. That same year, she voiced Miss Reznick on Disney’s “Lemonade Mouth.”
From 2015 to 2017, she played Damona opposite Ken Jeong on ABC’s “Dr. Ken.” She followed that with Rita on Fox’s “Outmatched” in 2020 and a dramatic turn on “Empire” in 2018.
Her career picked up speed again in the 2020s. Netflix cast her as Suzanne Prentiss in “Uncoupled” in 2022, playing the best friend of Neil Patrick Harris’s character after his 17-year relationship ends. She voiced Gigi in the animated series “Inside Job” in 2021, joining a cast that included Clark Duke, Brett Gelman, Christian Slater, and Lizzy Caplan.
She also appeared on “Last Man Standing” as Carol Larabee in 2019 and 2020, co-hosted the Soul Train Awards on BET in June 2021, and played Mama Liz in “Blindspotting” in 2018.
Her credits kept multiplying through 2024 and 2025. She played Dr. Glenda Brenda on “Lopez vs. Lopez,” Tawny on “Kite Man: Hell Yeah!,” and Juanita “Peaches” Clarkson on “Everybody Still Hates Chris.” She also appeared on “Good Times Black Again,” “Act Your Age” as Keisha Greenberg, “Celebrity Squares,” “Sherri,” “The Jennifer Hudson Show,” “Pantheon” as Pasha, and “Today with Jenna & Friends” in 2025. Few actresses her age carry a workload that active across so many networks and streaming platforms at once.
Acting Career — Film
Campbell’s film career started strong with Spike Lee’s “School Daze” in 1988, where she played Jane Toussaint. She followed with “Rooftops” in 1989 and “Another 48 Hrs.” in 1990.
That same year, she landed the role of Sidney in “House Party,” a performance that earned her an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Supporting Female. She reprised the role in “House Party 2” in 1991 and “House Party 3” in 1994.
Campbell played Yvonne in “Boomerang” in 1992 and starred as Brandy in “Sprung” in 1997. She also took a lead role in the Hallmark television film “The Sweetest Gift” in 1998, playing Ruby Wilson. Later credits included “Zack and Miri Make a Porno” in 2008, where she played Delaney’s Wife, and “A Low Down Dirty Shame.”
Music Career
Campbell released her debut album, “Tisha,” in 1993 through Capitol/EMI Records. The album reached number 37 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart and sold roughly 40,000 copies, a modest but respectable result. The single “Push,” produced by Derek Bramble, and “Love Me Down” both got minor airplay on R&B stations.
She recorded vocals for the “Sprung” soundtrack in 1997, delivering a cover of “Don’t Ask My Neighbor” alongside Tichina Arnold, originally recorded by The Emotions. Through the 1990s and 2000s, she appeared in several major music videos, including Will Smith’s “Will 2K” and “Wild Wild West,” plus Toni Braxton’s “You’re Makin’ Me High.”
In 2012, she featured in Mindless Behavior’s video for “Hello.” She kept releasing new singles well into the 2010s, including “Steel Here” on September 21, 2015, “Lazy Bitch” on February 24, 2016, and “I Don’t Wanna Be Alone Tonight” on February 2, 2018. A collaboration with Rich the Kid, “22 Summers,” followed in 2019, alongside the earlier track “Be Alone Tonight.”
Marriage, Divorce & Family
Marriage to Duane Martin
Campbell married actor Duane Martin, also known for his real estate work, on August 17, 1996. Martin’s acting credits include “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” “L.A.’s Finest,” “The Odd Couple,” “Ghost Whisperer,” “Deliver Us from Eva,” and “Getting Personal.”
The couple had two sons together. Xen Martin was born on August 8, 2001, and Ezekiel Czar Martin followed on September 8, 2009. Xen was diagnosed with autism at 18 months old. The family also ran a production company, XE Visions, along with a restaurant called Xen Restaurant in Sherman Oaks.
Divorce & Settlement
Campbell filed for divorce in February 2018, citing irreconcilable differences after roughly 22 years of marriage. During the proceedings, she accused Martin of hiding money, including an undisclosed real estate purchase and a collection of shirts reportedly worth $750,000. Court filings showed she had around $1.5 million in assets at the time, monthly expenses near $33,000, while Martin’s monthly income reportedly exceeded $62,000.
The divorce was finalized on December 16, 2020. Neither party paid spousal or child support under the settlement. Campbell kept a leased home and a leased 2020 BMW, while Martin kept a separate leased home, a leased Bentley, and two motorcycles. She later told People magazine she was the happiest she had ever been.
Bankruptcy & Financial Troubles
In 2016, Campbell and Martin filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Court documents revealed debts totaling around $15 million against just $313,000 in assets, including $65,000 in real estate and $248,000 in personal property. Their reported monthly income was $7,655, far short of monthly expenses near $17,000.
The filing listed $3 million owed to Broadway Federal Bank for a real estate loan and $9.5 million owed to the City of Los Angeles under a personal guarantee. The couple also fell behind on taxes. They owned several vehicles at the time, including a 2014 Range Rover, a 2016 Range Rover, a 1999 Kawasaki Drifter, and a Jeep Wrangler.
Campbell has spoken openly about how low things got. She has said she had just $7 to her name at one point, and $21 in her pocket at another. Since then, she has focused on rebuilding through steady acting work.
Net Worth (2026 Reconciled Estimate)
Public estimates of Campbell’s net worth vary widely, ranging from around $700,000 up to $20 million depending on the source. The most consistent figure among finance trackers like Celebrity Net Worth sits closer to $700,000 to $1 million, reflecting the impact of the 2016 bankruptcy and the 2020 divorce settlement.
Her income today comes from several places. Acting remains her main source, supported by residuals and royalties from decades of television work. She earns additional income through music royalties and occasional business ventures, including a clothing line. That mix of steady acting work, past hits still airing in reruns, and new streaming roles has helped her rebuild financial stability year over year.
Real Estate
Campbell and Martin bought a home in Lake Arrowhead, California, in 2004 for $880,000. The property offered 3,858 square feet of living space and a private slip dock for water access. They sold it in 2009 for $1.597 million.
In 2005, the couple purchased a primary residence in Chatsworth for $900,000. As part of the bankruptcy settlement, Martin was forced to sell the Chatsworth property, using part of the proceeds to repay a $1.5 million loan from Will Smith. Campbell moved to block her ex-husband from keeping any proceeds from that sale.
Health & Personal Struggles
Campbell has pulmonary sarcoidosis, a granulomatous disorder with no known cause. She has continued working through the condition without slowing her schedule.
In 2015, she publicly shared that she had experienced childhood sexual assault at age three. She has spoken about that experience as part of a broader conversation about healing and personal growth.
Personal Life & Advocacy Today (2026)
Campbell has been open about her dating life since her divorce. In 2026, she made headlines on “The Jennifer Hudson Show” and later on the podcast “Open Thoughts” with Funny Marco, recorded on June 30, 2026, after firmly shutting down a younger interviewer’s flirting. She said plainly, “Don’t flirt with me.” She has also said she has never actually been on a real date, moving instead from relationship to relationship since her youth. She described the process of rebuilding her sense of self after divorce as learning who she is outside of being someone’s wife.
That self-discovery has fueled a return to stand-up comedy. Campbell now performs 45-minute sets built around personal stories, often closing with audience Q&A sessions that feel more like conversations than shows. In an interview on 21Ninety Live, she described this stage of her life as centered on authenticity, joy, and healing rather than proving anything to anyone.
Friendship with Tichina Arnold
Campbell’s bond with Tichina Arnold goes back to childhood, starting around age 12. The two auditioned separately for “Martin,” each hiding the fact that they were already close friends. Arnold played Sharane in “House Party,” alongside Campbell’s Sidney, and the two later recorded “Don’t Ask My Neighbor” together for the “Sprung” soundtrack. They co-hosted the Soul Train Awards together and remain close decades later.
Awards, Recognition & Legacy
Campbell holds an NAACP Image Award for her work on “My Wife and Kids” and received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Supporting Female for “House Party.” Her line “Damn Gina” remains one of the most recognizable catchphrases from 1990s sitcoms, still resurfacing as internet trends and fan tributes. Across roughly 78 acting roles, she has built a reputation as one of the most versatile performers of her generation.
Social Media & Public Presence
Campbell stays active on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok, where she shares updates on her projects and connects directly with fans. She often uses that platform to speak on social issues and encourage aspiring artists following a similar path into entertainment.
Conclusion
Tisha Campbell’s career now spans five decades, built on the strength of “Martin” and “My Wife and Kids” but far from limited to them. She has weathered bankruptcy and a difficult divorce, rebuilt her finances through steady work, and kept adding new credits well into 2025. Her story today is less about the losses she survived and more about the reinvention she’s chosen since.
FAQ’s
Who is Tisha Campbell?
Tisha Michelle Campbell is an American actress, singer, dancer, and comedian best known for playing Gina Waters-Payne on “Martin.”
Who is Tisha Campbell’s husband?
She was married to actor Duane Martin from August 17, 1996, until their divorce was finalized on December 16, 2020.
What is Tisha Campbell’s net worth?
Estimates vary, but her net worth is generally reported between $700,000 and $1 million heading into 2026.
How old is Tisha Campbell?
She was born on October 13, 1968, making her 57 years old.
Does Tisha Campbell have children?
She has two sons with Duane Martin, Xen Martin and Ezekiel Czar Martin, and Xen was diagnosed with autism at 18 months old.
Why did Tisha Campbell and Martin Lawrence fall out?
Campbell filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Lawrence during the fifth season of “Martin” in 1997, and the case was settled out of court.
Is Tisha Campbell dating anyone now?
As of 2026, Campbell has said she is not dating anyone specific and has publicly rejected flirtation from admirers.
What is Tisha Campbell doing now?
She continues acting in shows like “Everybody Still Hates Chris” and “Lopez vs. Lopez” while also performing stand-up comedy.
