Tisha Campbell Recalls Being Down To $21 Post-Bankruptcy

Tisha Campbell has opened up on the financial difficulties she faced when she and her ex-husband, Duane Martin, filed for bankruptcy in 2016. Despite being a household name, Tisha candidly admitted to being in such a financial crisis that she only had $21 to her name and struggled getting gifts for her children. Here’s what she had to say about this chapter of her life…

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Tisha Campbell’s Gets Real About Past Bankruptcy Struggles

Tisha Campbell spilled it all on ‘The Breakfast Club‘ on Wednesday, July 9, diving into the financial low point that hit her hard almost a decade ago. Charlamagne Tha God brought up a situation when Tisha was down to her last $21. That’s when she got all the way real, sharing how she and Duane Martin were navigating challenging times while trying to raise their two sons, Xen and Ezekiel.

“The story was I had $21 in my pocket and a knife cost $7, and I wanted to pay for the knife,” Tisha revealed. “It was Christmas, and I had a choice to try to get some extra toys for my kids at the Rite Aid or something.”

The Oklahoma native was out here making tough choices to keep her kids’ holiday spirits high, even when her bank account was screaming “nope!” Tisha’s vulnerability hit deep as she reflected on the struggle. The bankruptcy case, filed with her ex-husband Duane in 2016, wasn’t officially closed until July 2024, according to Yahoo News. Further on, she shared that she’s still piecing together how things spiraled. “I think it’s a lifetime of stuff, and I don’t really understand how we went through the bankruptcy, honestly,” she said. When asked if closing the case felt like a fresh start, Tisha responded:

“I was kind of separated from it, so I don’t really know how we got through it, but it really is just taking yourself outside of it and keep it moving forward.”

Here’s Why Tisha and Duane Martin Filed For Bankruptcy

The bankruptcy was a storm that hit Tisha and Duane after years of financial strain. The couple, who split in 2018 after two decades of marriage, had filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, citing millions in debt. Reports from the time detailed how they allegedly owed over $15 million to various creditors, including banks and even the IRS, per the LA Times. Despite the financial chaos, Tisha remained strong for her children.

“I got kids, man. I got two kids, one has ADHD, the other one got autism, two separate issues, and I just keep moving forward,” she shared. “I can’t look backwards. I can’t. So I just don’t.”

Tisha Recently Revealed She Had A Mommy Makeover

Fast forward to 2025, and Tisha is out here glowing again! At the ‘BET Awards’ last month, our girl turned heads with a fierce burgundy look. And while speaking with Entertainment Tonight, the ‘My Wife and Kids’ star spilled tea on her mommy makeover that snatched her body right on up. Tisha said she went under the knife to fix that “extra skin” from birthing her sons. And no, it wasn’t for the fellas, she says. Tisha did it for HERSELF!

“It’s snatched now, so that’s good,” she said, flexing her newfound confidence. Tisha went on to say how her glow-up got her girls, Tamara Johnson-George and Leanne Lyons from SWV, ready to book their own consultations! “We should be feeling good about ourselves,” she added,