If there’s one relationship where fans wish they could have been a fly on the wall, it has to be the one between Martin Lawrence and Tisha Campbell, better known as Martin and Gina from the show “Martin.” They couldn’t even be on the same lot at Universal Studios. If Martin was there, Tisha couldn’t be, and vice versa. But what really happened between them? Did Martin truly harass Tisha verbally, physically, sexually, and emotionally while filming “Martin”? Did Tisha make up her claims? And what part did Tisha’s ex-husband, Dwayne Martin, play in all of this?
In 1997, Tisha sued Martin for harassment both on and off the screen, and her allegations were quite serious. She accused Martin of battery, verbal abuse, yelling and threatening her on set, having unnecessary outbursts, groping her during bed scenes, and attempting to kiss her with tongue, among other things. The part about Martin’s outbursts wouldn’t surprise some people, considering that in 1996, he was arrested after being found wandering the streets of LA, brandishing a gun and screaming, “They’re trying to kill me!” According to one witness at the time, Martin also shouted, “Fight! Don’t give up! Fight the power!”
Allegedly, around the same time, Martin forced his way into his ex-wife’s hotel room and threatened her and her family with a firearm. In his rage, he kicked and broke a marble tile wall near her room. When Tisha’s lawsuit became public, Martin Lawrence issued a statement denying all the charges, claiming he was simply caught in the middle of her dispute with HBO. His statement read:
“Martin Lawrence regrets that he is being used as a pawn in a contract dispute between Tisha Campbell and HBO. Martin has long been Tisha’s champion and protector and is thus deeply hurt by these allegations. There is no merit to the lawsuit and it will be vigorously defended.”
Tisha settled the lawsuit four months later and returned to the set in April 1997 to film the final two episodes of the show. However, there was one unusual condition: Martin wasn’t allowed on set when Tisha was filming. In the final one-hour episode, writers and editors had to make it look like they were a loving couple on screen, even though they were never in the same room. Filming must have been incredibly awkward. If the harassment allegations are true, it must have been especially uncomfortable for Tisha, particularly as a survivor of childhood sexual assault.
“It was a babysitter, someone very close to our family, who was looking after me and my brothers. I remember we were all sitting in front of the TV. I tended to be a bit loud, and at one point, one of my brothers picked up a butter knife. To me, it looked like a real knife, so I yelled out, ‘Put that knife down!’ The babysitter responded firmly, ‘I’ve warned you before, if you yell again, there will be consequences.’ Thinking I was about to be punished, he then instructed, ‘Go to your room.'”
Just think about the horror she must have endured if Martin truly started behaving the way she described in her lawsuit. It must have felt like she was reliving her trauma over and over again. Remember, Martin had previously denied the allegations in the lawsuit. In a 2020 interview with Zach Baron for GQ, he flat-out dismissed it all as nonsense, saying, “It’s just a bunch of BS.” When Baron asked him if he and Tisha ever talked about the lawsuit, Martin responded:
“We didn’t even need to talk about something that never happened. So I decided to step away from the show. People said I got canceled, but that’s not true. I chose to end it.”
This left many people believing that Martin didn’t really want to confront what had happened. Allegedly, Tisha reached out to him right after reading the interview. She mentioned that she couldn’t go into much detail about the past due to a confidentiality agreement and a gag order that prevented her from discussing it. However, according to Tisha, Martin contacted her and advised her not to read too much into it, implying that others were just trying to dredge up the past.
During a CBS Mornings interview in 2022, Tisha shared that she and Martin had overcome their past issues.
“We put in a lot of effort to reconnect, forgive each other. This reunion is really about celebrating all we’ve achieved and how much we’ve grown as people. That’s been our focus.”
On “The Real,” Tisha mentioned that Martin reached out to her after she split from Dwayne Martin, not knowing she was separated. This gesture reassured her about their relationship.
But here’s the question: Could you work with someone who harassed you so badly you couldn’t even work with them anymore? Forgiveness is one thing, but being around that person again might be tough. Even so, Tisha was quick to express interest in a “Martin” reboot, showing she’s willing to move forward. It’s important not to brush off her experiences.
There’s been talk that maybe Tisha exaggerated some things. However, her lawsuit details are pretty serious. According to reports, problems started surfacing in the show’s second season. The lawsuit claims Martin Lawrence’s behavior during rehearsals and tapings became increasingly unpredictable. Allegedly, he made threats in a really scary way, especially if things didn’t go his way.
As the third season progressed, Martin’s behavior took a troubling turn. He began frequently yelling and losing control, directing his anger towards Tisha and others without reason. There were allegations that he publicly humiliated Tisha numerous times in front of the entire cast and crew, causing her such extreme stress that she needed hospitalization. Despite her complaints, none of their colleagues intervened. Things allegedly escalated further in the fourth season, with Martin’s unpredictable mood swings becoming particularly frightening for Tisha. She even felt compelled to install a lock on her dressing room door out of fear. By the beginning of the fifth season, the situation had reportedly spiraled out of control. Tisha had already requested that the writers avoid scripting scenes where she had to be intimate with Martin Lawrence to prevent further distress and conflict.
Certainly! It seems like there are a lot of serious allegations swirling around involving Tisha and Martin. Some people are saying they were more than just friends, with claims of a friends-with-benefits arrangement that turned sour due to jealousy over Tisha’s ex-husband. There’s also speculation that Tisha’s ex, Dwayne Martin, might have encouraged her to file harassment claims against Martin.
On top of all that, there are rumors that Tisha might have exaggerated the harassment claims to save face and maintain a good relationship with Dwayne. And to add another layer, there’s talk that Tisha wanted more money during contract negotiations, but the network refused, despite others getting raises. It’s a complicated situation with a lot of different stories floating around.
If everything Tisha Campbell said was true, it was confusing for fans of the show that her best friend, Tichina Arnold, remained friends with Martin Lawrence despite all the allegations Tisha had made. Some people just couldn’t make sense of it all. What do you think really happened between Tisha and Martin? Did she forgive him for whatever he did? She did mention they reconciled after some healing, so maybe she did forgive him. Even with the childhood trauma she endured, therapy or time can help overcome such challenges. People handle these things in their own way.
Do you think she exaggerated what happened on the set of “Martin”? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.
