When Tia Mowry and Cory Hardrict announced their split in October, they shook the web. Mowry, 44, has been glowing because the announcement and recently opened up about her marriage on the TODAY show with Hoda & Jenna. She shared at what moment she knew her marriage was over. 

“I knew once I really began to give attention to my happiness,” the Sister Sister star said. “I feel like women; we are inclined to give attention to everybody else’s happiness, ensuring that everyone else is OK — meaning our youngsters, our friends, our family.”

“But at the tip of the day, it’s about self-love. If you start to essentially work on yourself, love yourself, know your value and know your price, then hastily, there’s this awakening. And it’s challenging. It’s a tough journey, but at the tip of the day, I feel prefer it is so, so price it.”

Mowry and Hardrict splitting caused such a ruckus considering they were together for 14 years. This kind of longevity isn’t something we regularly see nowadays, especially amongst celebrity couples. Despite the split, Mowry says she doesn’t see her marriage as a failure. 

“And I feel like … when (people) take a look at marriage; success equals longevity. But, no, at the tip of the day, are they joyful? Are they thriving? Are they growing? I feel like that’s what is most vital. It’s not about staying in something because nonetheless long you might be in that situation, that equals success. It’s about really, again, are you joyful? Because life is actually short.”

Mowry also attributes death to helping her realize her marriage was coming to an end. In 2019, her grandmother and twin sister Tamera Mowry-Housley’s niece, Alaina Housley, passed away. These unlucky events helped her put her life into perspective. 

“I feel like once I began to give attention to myself again, like I said, but there was this sadness. And I knew that life is brief. I had lost my grandmother. We had lost Alaina Housley. And each of them at the identical time,” she said.

“There was just an ‘aha’ moment in me where I said, ‘You already know what? We want to tap in, see what’s really happening along with your happiness. Life is brief. Let’s go. Let’s start working on you and really specializing in what really, really matters here, which is at the tip of the day, your peace, your joy and your happiness.”

Mowry seems to have tapped into this newfound happiness, a lot in order that her sister Tamera is noticing it too. The dual told Entertainment Tonight of her sister, “That is the happiest she’s been in a protracted time.”

Mowry and the All American actor met in 1999 and dated for six years before getting hitched in 2006. This was also a singular relationship for Mowry as Hardrict was the primary and last boyfriend she had. They share two children together–son Cree, 11, and daughter Cairo, 4.