Tia Mowry and Cory Hardrict have a relationship that has outlasted many Hollywood romances. Though they were able to build a strong friendship from the start, they came from two different worlds and had very different life experiences.
Tia had already made a name for herself on the show Sister, Sister, when she met Cory, who was a struggling actor at the time. He wasn’t nearly as successful as her, but she still gave him a chance. And the rest is history.
Here’s the truth about Tia Mowry and Cory Hardrict’s relationship.
Cory Hardrict was a struggling actor
Cory Hardrict told the Chicago Sun-Times that at the age of 13, his mom made him and his brother go to a casting call for an Oprah Winfrey movie. He had already done some print work as a child, but he never had an interest in acting.
When he got on set, he was immediately impressed by all the lights and cameras. He and his brother both received uncredited roles in the film, and Cory knew right then that acting was his calling.
At the age of 19, he told his stepdad he was going to Los Angeles for a little vacation. But in fact, Cory had purchased a one-way ticket. He moved to Inglewood, Calif. without any formal acting training nor a job.
He experienced some of the toughest moments of his life. To make ends meet, he worked a bunch of odd jobs for a few years, including the graveyard shift as a security officer at K-Mart.
How Tia Mowry and Cory Hardrict first met
Cory got a role in the film Hollywood Horror alongside Tia and Tamera Mowry. Tia told Oprah Winfrey’s Black Love series that when they first met in 2001, she was initially turned off by his shoes. The wardrobe department had given Cory a pair of Birkenstock sandals. However, instead of feeling insecure about his footwear, Cory was just happy to have a job.
One day, he was waiting at a bus stop in downtown Los Angeles when Tia and Tamera drove by and offered him a ride. Cory said he was so embarrassed, but he accepted their offer. They drove him back to Inglewood, and from then on, he and the twins became friends.
How they built their friendship
Cory was impressed by the life Tia and Tamera had built for themselves, thanks to their time on Sister, Sister. In comparison, he was living in a studio apartment with no furniture, so he had to resort to sleeping on the floor.
Despite their different lifestyles, their friendship continued. And for a whole year, they really got to know each other. Tia told OK magazine they never spent time alone while Cory was courting her. Instead, they would always hang out in group settings. After about a year, they shared their first kiss and they decided to start dating.
The moment Tia knew Cory was ‘The One’
Tia told Oprah Winfrey’s Black Love series she knew Cory was the one after they went on a group outing with her sister and cousins to the Cheesecake Factory.
Cory didn’t have a lot of money, so he barely ordered any food that night. He had splurged on some red roses that he had purchased from Ralph’s grocery store. After dinner, he presented the flowers to Tia in front of everyone. Tia said at that point she knew he was different.
She no longer had to worry about Cory only being with her because she was famous. He was constantly proving just how much he was into her. And at the age of 25, Tia experienced her very first act of intimacy.
Cory Hardrict put his plan in motion
Cory knew Tia was the one for him because she was always in his corner, even when he was dirt poor. When he had nothing, he said Tia loved him for who he really was. He told himself that once he was in a better position financially, he was going to buy her a ring and make her his wife.
The details on Tia Mowry and Cory Hardrict’s engagement
On Christmas Day 2006, after six years of dating, Cory showed up to her parents’ house. Tia told People magazine he was acting really strange. He went to the bathroom three times in 10 minutes and he was sweating profusely. Turns out, acting weird was apart of Cory’s master plan.
He handed her a card that said: “I love you” and told her that he wanted to give her a promise ring. That’s when Tia’s little brother rushed over, and instead of holding the ring, he had a piece of paper in his hand that read, “Psych!” Tia’s other brother fired up the CD player, and Jagged Edge’s “Let’s Get Married” blasted through the speakers.
Cory got down on one knee and gave Tia a beautiful diamond ring that he had designed himself. Tia told People magazine, “He was crying, I was crying […] It was just one of the best moments of my entire life.”
Tia Mowry and Cory Hardrict were ‘Dangerously in Love’
In April 2008, Tia and Cory got married in Santa Barbara, Calif. in front of 170 guests, People reports. After saying their “I do’s,” their first dance was to Beyoncé’s “Dangerously In Love.” At the end of the night, Tia looked at Cory and said, “Let’s do it again.”
And in fact, they did get married a second time when they renewed their wedding vows on their five-year anniversary. At that point, their son Cree Hardrict was able to take part in the intimate ceremony.
The dumb Cory Hardrict and KeKe Palmer rumors
They got pulled into some unnecessary drama in 2015 after KeKe Palmer and Cory co-starred in the film Brotherly Love. During an interview, KeKe reportedly made a comment about wanting to marry Cory.
Word got back to Tia, and she tweeted and deleted: “Saying you like married men in interviews is not cute. Just saying.” Dang. Don’t mess with Tia’s man!
KeKe went on The Wendy Williams Show to say her words were taken out of context. She said she had known Cory since she was 10-years-old when he auditioned to play her big brother in Akeelah the Bee. KeKe said her 10-year-old self wanted to marry Cory. But present-day KeKe only loved him like a brother.
Cory also stopped by the talk show during a separate episode and confirmed KeKe was like a sister to him. He also expressed his devotion to Tia. He said, “I love my wife to death. I would never jeopardize that.” Aww!
Tia Mowry and Cory Hardrict expanded their family
Although Tia Mowry and Cory Hardrict were the proud parents of one child, they wanted to expand their family. In Jan. 2018, Tia Mowry opened up to People magazine and revealed she had battled infertility. “I didn’t think I’d be able to have a second child, and it’s been over seven years since my first pregnancy,” she said. “I put it off, but I did want to have another child.”
Cory also had vivid dreams of having a little girl, and in May 2018, his wish came true. He and Tia welcomed their daughter Cairo Hardrict, according to E! News. That same year, they celebrated their ten-year wedding anniversary. Congrats!
As the love between Tia Mowry and Cory Hardrict continues to grow, we wish them a lifetime of wedded bliss!
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