The Truth About Tamera Mowry's Marriage
Tamera Mowry is no stranger to the spotlight. Alongside her twin sister, Tia Mowry, Tamera starred on the hit '90s sitcom Sister, Sister, a show about a set of twin sisters who were separated at birth and adopted by different families, only to reunite as teenagers after a chance encounter in a store. The series catapulted both of the twins to superstardom and, decades later, they remain successful public figures.
While the former child star has stayed busy working in Hollywood, Tamera has carved out time for a fulfilling personal life. She married her husband, Adam Housley, in 2011 after several years of dating. The couple is still going strong today and, while they've faced plenty of challenges over the years, they seem to be just as happy as ever to be together. They even have their own YouTube channel, The Housley Life, which focuses on their marriage and family,
What is the secret to her long-lasting relationship? To understand that, we'll need to look more closely at Tamera Mowry's marriage.
Tamera Mowry's husband is also a television personality
Tamera Mowry and Adam Housley have a lot in common. While Housley didn't grow up on camera like his wife, he does know what it's like to live under public scrutiny. As noted on his official website, Housley attended Pepperdine University where he was on the baseball team. He pitched on the 1992 National Champion College World Series team and went on to play minor league baseball.
According to Hollywood Life, Housley eventually hung up his baseball cleats and then became a journalist, starting his career at KCPM-TV (NBC) in Chico, California. He later worked for Fox and traveled to the Middle East to cover the Iraq War from the front lines.
Housley has won many prestigious awards throughout his career. Per his biography on the Pepperdine University website, the alumnus put his degrees in political science and telecommunications to good use and is an "Emmy, AP, and RTNDA award winner."
A professor set Tamera Mowry up with her husband
Considering that both Tamera Mowry and her husband, Adam Housley, are in show business, it would be easy to assume that they met through work or at least through Hollywood connections. In reality, the couple was set up by a college professor at Housley's alma mater, Pepperdine University, where Mowry was also a student. As Housley recalled to Yahoo! Life, his economics professor Robert Sexton had "photos of [his] favorite students on the wall near his desk" — and one of those pictures happened to be of Mowry. Housley — who had no idea that Mowry was a famous actor — noticed her picture and "thought she was pretty," leading to Sexton making an introduction.
Mowry, however, was not looking for a relationship. So, she told Sexton just to pass along her email address because it would be "easier" to turn him down that way. Clearly, Housley's message ended up winning over the actor. "I always say, 'He got me with his words,'" she told Yahoo! Life.
The couple went on their first date on New Year's Day in 2005 and Housley immediately knew that he could have a future with Mowry.
Waiting sure seemed to work for Tamera Mowry and her husband
Tamera Mowry and Adam Housley had been together for several years when they tied the knot in 2011, but they didn't live together as so many couples do. As noted by XO Necole, Mowry remained a virgin until she turned 29, and after that remained celibate until she and Housley got married due to her religious convictions.
Staying celibate had a major upside, as Mowry explained on The Real. All those years of celibacy allowed her to learn about her body and to learn what works for her in the bedroom. "So, you know, once I got married with Adam and all of that, I knew what I wanted," she said.
While Mowry was committed to remaining celibate, she admitted to Ebony that it was difficult for her but that the journey was made easier because she kept herself by supportive people to "root [her] on."
A brief break worked out for Tamera Mowry and her husband
Even though Adam Housley was instantly smitten with Tamera Mowry, their courtship wasn't exactly simple. In an interview with Ebony, Mowry revealed that the couple broke up for a while when they were dating. The separation was difficult, but both of them wanted to make sure that they were truly meant to be together. "We missed each other and something was drawing us together, but more than that, we wanted to make sure that this relationship was what God wanted for our lives," said Mowry.
Mowry revealed on The Real (via OK! Magazine) that while she tried to date other men while she and Housley were broken up, nothing worked out. None of her relationships with other men measured up to the relationship she'd had with Housley, so the two got back together. As noted by People, Mowry announced her engagement in January 2011, and she and Housley were married later that year.
Tamera Mowry was 'definitely controlling' when planning her wedding
When it comes to putting together a wedding, a lot of brides go over the top. And apparently, Tamera Mowry wasn't one to shy away from going overboard when it came to planning the big event. Mowry told Wonderwall that she's a huge fan of weddings so it's no surprise, then, that she "was definitely controlling" when it came to planning her own 2011 wedding, although she added that she "was a good controlling, not a bridezilla."
Mowry was so set on her wedding day being perfect that she had trouble making some decisions, like having "a cake for everybody, a group cake, and a cupcake bar." She admitted that she could have used some guidance from Facebook users as soon-to-be-wed couples received on the Facebook Watch show Help Us Get Married. Mowry hosted the show, which focused on newly engaged couples making decisions about their wedding by getting the input of social media users via Facebook poll.
Faith is at the center of Tamera Mowry's marriage
Tamera Mowry and her husband are both religious. Their faith has been a huge part of their relationship. Not only was it the reason that they waited so long to be physically intimate with each other, but it is also the guiding light of their marriage.
In the caption of a 2015 Instagram post of the couple, Mowry paid tribute to her hubby and talked about the important role their faith plays in their marriage. She explained that the secret to their long relationship is "persistence, forgiveness, unconditional love, honesty, communication, but most importantly our relationship with God." That faith has kept the couple anchored through all of their years together raising a family, and all of their "ups and downs."
Mowry revealed to Essence that she had tried what she called "missionary dating" in past relationships in which she tried to change a person, but found that it didn't work. She explained that with Housley, that was never a problem as he is just as committed to their faith as she is. "I dated guys who did not share those same beliefs and it was hard," she said.
Tamera Mowry and her husband have two children together
Tamera Mowry and Adam Housley are raising a beautiful family together. The couple has two children, a son named Aden and a daughter named Ariah. After welcoming Aden, Mowry revealed to Essence that becoming a mom was something that she had always envisioned for herself. "I'm a nurturer, a girly girl," she said (via People).
Mowry described her son to Momtastic as "very high energy" who, much like his father, "can't sit still." Ariah, she revealed, takes after her mom and is a "chill baby." Mowry is loving her little family, and she's not planning on adding to her brood any time soon. While she may adopt a third child in the future, she said that her "body is done" birthing any more children. Mowry explained that there are challenges with having kids "later in life."
"You don't realize how often you're picking them up and then your back goes out," she said, adding that "you need the energy" when it comes to babies.
Tamera Mowry loves her husband's 'beautiful soul'
It's obvious that Tamera Mowry adores her husband, Adam Housley. They've gotten to know each other very well in all of the years that they've been together, and several years after their wedding, Mowry is just as in love as ever. "He literally is my best friend," Mowry told Wonderwall, adding that she "can talk to him about anything" and that she "feel[s] safe with him."
In an interview with Ebony, Mowry listed more of the many qualities that she adores about her husband. "I love Adam because he has a beautiful soul," she said, before talking about how caring and generous he is. Mowry explained that her spouse is a kind person who "will give the shirt off his back on a cold day to someone he doesn't even like" adding that, in spite of all of the good things he does, he never brags about his good deeds.
Mowry went on to say that she loves how supportive her husband is and how he dedicates himself to his family. "He inspires me to be a better person," she said.
Tamera Mowry came to her husband's defense
In 2018, Adam Housley came under fire because he had previously worked as a reporter for the conservative news outlet Fox News. Housley's association with the channel drew accusations that he was racist, which led Mowry to stand up for her husband. "I am going to look in that camera right there and let everybody know my husband is not a racist," she said on The Real.
In fact, Housley left his job at Fox due to his growing unease with how the network was being run. While Housley said in a statement issued at the time that he was going to focus on his family, a former Fox employee told Politico that Housley was "unhappy with the tone of the conversation of the channel."
In spite of Mowry's staunch defense of her husband, rumors that Housley supported Trump persisted. Two years after Mowrey stood up for her husband, he tweeted that it was "stupid" that some people attacked him for not supporting Trump, while other "trolls" attacked Mowrey on Instagram claiming he was "all Trump." He added, "None of you were in the voting booth with me."
Yes, that was Tamera Mowry and her husband on Celebrity Cupcake Wars
Tamera Mowry is quite the talented cook, telling Today that she even pitched a cooking show once with her sister, Tia Mowry. It's a passion that she shares with her husband — the couple regularly shares cooking videos on Instagram Live. Adam Housley and Tamera even competed on an episode of Food Network's Celebrity Cupcake Wars in 2016. "He's so great in the kitchen!" Tamera wrote about her husband in a blog post on her website about their appearance on the show.
As noted by Hollywood Life, the couple competed against three other teams on Celebrity Cupcake Wars, winning the competition with "jalapeño cornbread, chocolate cabernet, and vanilla port cupcakes." Tamera wrote on her blog that the winners of the space-themed episode had their winning cupcakes served at a gala in honor of astronaut Scott Kelly, as well as a donation to the charity of their choice. Tamera and Housley donated their winnings to Snowball Express, a charity dedicated to helping the children of members of the U.S. military who have died.
Tamera Mowry and her husband have faced criticism for their interracial marriage
Tamera Mowry and her husband clearly have a strong marriage, but that doesn't mean their relationship doesn't have its critics. As Mowry shared on a 2014 episode of Oprah's Where Are They Now?, she's received many hurtful comments regarding the fact that she and Adam Housley are in an interracial marriage. Mowry, whose mom is Black and whose dad is white, told Momtastic that she "was raised to see character" and did not expect to face as much scrutiny as she did when she and Housley began dating. Her mother had warned about how difficult things could be, but she figured that "people [weren't] going to care" in the year 2005.
While she was shocked by the negative comments she received back when their relationship began, she says it has gotten "even worse... with the racial tension that we're seeing and the political climate."
Having their marriage attacked has been difficult, but Housley has been supportive of his wife and told Mowry "to focus on the thousands of people that are for" her, rather than her handful of detractors.
Tamera Mowry said her marriage was 'tested' by the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic made life difficult for most of the world, including celebrities. Tamera Mowry admitted to Us Weekly that COVID-19 lockdowns have not always been exactly easy on her personal life. "It definitely has tested our relationship," she said.
Mowry explained that, since both she and her husband, Adam Housley, are "somewhat workaholics," being stuck at home all day with each other proved to be a bit of a challenge. As both of them are used to living busy lives, having less to occupy their time and being in quarantine was not easy and led to a lot of stress. Eventually, Mowry and her husband figured out a new routine and found ways to "connect" with each other.
In another interview with Us Weekly, Mowry said that she was also enjoying the time in quarantine because it helped her grow even closer with her children.
Tamera Mowry and her husband split their time between two homes
Like many wealthy celebrities, Tamera Mowry and Adam Housley have more than one home. The couple lives in Los Angeles, which Mowry described to Momtastic as "very fast paced" and good for the couple's professional lives, but "a little stressful." Their other home is in Napa, where Mowry and her husband can "center" themselves.
Their Napa home isn't just a retreat from the hustle and bustle of L.A., though. Instead, it's a place where they can get away to do more work, albeit in a more relaxed place. Housley and Mowry co-own Housley's Century Oak Winery with Housley's parents, brother, and sister-in-law. Their second home is near their winery and vineyard. "Adam and I live a very packed life," Mowry told Wine Spectator.
While Housley's family is from Napa, the region was new to Mowry before her husband "introduced [her] to the area." She fell in love with it immediately, though, saying "Nothing is too pristine; it's very natural."
Tamera Mowry and her husband love to travel
As busy as Tamera Mowry and Adam Housley are between their successful careers and raising their family, the couple still finds plenty of time for globetrotting. When Housley proposed to Mowry in 2011, it was on a trip to Venice, Italy.
Even after years of marriage, Housley and Mowry still love to travel. Mowry revealed in a 2019 interview with Hollywood Life that she and her husband did quite a bit of traveling together before they got married and had children. "And now our kids are at the age where we can take them," she added.
The couple has combined their love of wine and travel to curate a unique souvenir collection to help them remember some of their travels. As noted by Wine Spectator, Housley and Mowry have a collection of bottles of wine that they've picked up in different countries. How a-cork-able.