Tia Mowry Says Past Dates Had Sister, Sister ‘Infatuation’

Tia Mowry is keeping it real about diving back into the dating scene on her new We TV docuseries, Tia Mowry: My Next Act.

In an exclusive interview with Us Weekly, the actress, 46, dished on looking for love again following her divorce from ex-husband Cory Hardrict. “If you’re able to look at it as just having fun, then it’s fun. You get to explore and experience someone new,” Mowry shared. “It’s [also] about self-discovery. You start to have an understanding of what it is that you want.”

In October 2022, Mowry announced she and Hardrict, 44, had called it quits after 14 years of marriage, noting in a statement shared via Instagram, “These decisions are never easy, and not without sadness.” The former couple share kids Cree, 13, and Cairo, 6.

Though the series will show Mowry meeting potential suitors, she admits that things have changed since filming wrapped. “I put a little bit of a pause on dating at the moment, because you don’t really know why someone is dating you,” she told Us. “When it becomes very clear on why someone is dating you through their behaviors, it’s disappointing.”

According to Mowry, being a public figure proved to be a challenge when she started looking for romance. “I’ve realized that some people are attracted because there was some sort of infatuation growing up — you know, ‘Oh, this is the girl from Sister, Sister,” she shared. “It’s like, ‘Nah. I want you to know me and love me when the makeup comes off.’”

Even though she’s taking a break for now, Mowry is staying realistic — and optimistic — about finding the right person in due time. “You have to kiss a lot of frogs to get to your prince and that could be exhausting at times,” the Tia & Tamera alum shared. “That’s the reality of dating.”

Though Mowry admits she didn’t know what her non-negotiables were when she was younger, she knows exactly what she’s looking for in her next partner now. “There has to be awareness of their traumas [and] triggers,” she said. “They have to have emotional intelligence, kindness, accountability and love for oneself.”

“I’m not looking for someone perfect at all, but I do want my partner to be in therapy, and I do want my partner to be working on growth,” she continued. “I am dedicated to becoming the person that I want [to be], so I want my partner to be doing the work as well.”

Mowry is keeping busy in the meantime. Not only is she starring in Lifetime’s A Very Merry Beauty Salon, she’s also giving fans a look into her post-divorce life in Tia Mowry: My Next Act — and she hopes viewers will take away an important message from her vulnerability when it premieres on We TV on Friday, October 4.

“You cannot expect to inspire or even to heal yourself if you’re closed off,” she told Us. “The main focus that I really want to put a spotlight on is mental health.”

The Family Reunion star — who credits her “incredible support system, from friends to family to even therapists” for helping her throughout her healing journey — is taking some valuable lessons with her into this new chapter, too.

“Life is all about impermanence [and] change is something that will always win,” she says. “That’s the biggest thing I’ve learned: Even when change does happen, it doesn’t necessarily mean that something is wrong with you or that something is wrong — it is a part of life, and we are to just go with the flow.”

For more of Mowry’s interview, pick up this week’s issue of Us Weekly, on newsstands now.