Tia Mowry shares two 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren with ex-husband Cory Hardrict, whom she separated from in October 2022

Photo: Tia Mowry Instagram

Tia Mowry is a sister and a mother.

The actress, who starred in the ’90s sitcom Sister, Sister with her twin, Tamera Mowry, is a mom of two. She shares son Cree, 13, and daughter Cairo, 6, with ex-husband Cory Hardrict.

In October 2022, the Family Reunion star announced she was splitting from Hardrict after 14 years of marriage.

“I have always been honest with my fans, and today is no different. I wanted to share that Cory and I have decided to go our separate ways. These decisions are never easy, and not without sadness. We will maintain a friendship as we co-parent our beautiful 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren,” Tia wrote on Instagram.

According to documents obtained by PEOPLE, the Seventeen Again alum requested joint physical and legal custody of their 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren. That request was granted when the exes finalized their divorce in April 2023. The custody agreement also states that Mowry and Hardrict are not allowed to introduce their 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren to any future significant others before the six-month dating mark.

The Twitches actress has said in the past that being a mother to her kids will always be her “biggest accomplishment.” While she is a proud mom of two, Tia’s path to motherhood admittedly wasn’t easy. The actress, who has endometriosis, wrote in a 2021 Instagram post, “My pregnancies with both of my 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren were never easy, but oh it was so worth it.”

Tia Mowry Instagram

After her split from Hardrict, Mowry opened up about life as a single parent. “I feel like, especially as a mom wearing so many different hats, I’m always in survival mode,” she told PEOPLE in November 2022.

“I’m always making sure everybody is okay, everybody’s alive, everybody’s healthy, everybody’s fed,” she added, “and making sure everybody’s fine, they have no holes in their socks, et cetera.”

“But for me,” the actress continued, “it’s about learning how to be aware and present with myself, and tapping in and making sure I too am taken care of. [Because] how can you take care of other people if your cup isn’t filled?”

While the actress seems to be happy living the single life, she still considers Hardrict family. “Yes, we are going to be spending the holidays with him, which we’re really excited about,” Mowry said in an interview with TMZ, published Dec. 8, 2022. “With the whole family.”

“I mean, family is family no matter what happens, and that’s what’s important to me,” she added. “We will always be family.”

In June 2023, Mowry said that her divorce was in the best interest of her kids. “A part of my decision was also for them,” the actress told HelloBeautiful. “For them seeing their mother walk in truth, I feel like it’s a great lesson for them because it was not an easy decision.”

Here is everything to know about Tia Mowry’s two kids.

Cree Hardrict, 13Tia Mowry Instagram

It was reported in early 2011 that Tia and Cory were expecting their first 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥. “This is something that they’ve wanted for a long time and they’re thrilled,” a source told PEOPLE at the time.

Tia, who felt “empowered” and “𝓈ℯ𝓍y” during her pregnancy, welcomed her son, Cree Taylor Hardrict, on June 28, 2011, in Los Angeles.

Over the years, Cree has accompanied his mother to events, including the 28th annual Kids’ Choice Awards and the Los Angeles premieres of How To Train Your Dragon 2 and Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Ahead of Cree’s 5th 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡day, Tia told PEOPLE that she was “really starting to see his personality shine and come through.”

Albert L. Ortega/Getty

“He’s very funny, considerate and caring,” she said at the time. “Even his schoolteacher wrote me a letter saying just how caring he is of other people’s feelings, and they said they really don’t see that at a young age.”

Tia shared that she wanted to teach her son “what unconditional love is.” She explained, “Love, in my opinion, is not earned. We should all be loving and caring. So for Cree to have that, that has been my goal from day one.”

Cree was 6 years old when he became a big brother. The Twitches star has praised her son, calling him an “incredible big brother” to his younger sister.

Tia has described her son as the “coolest boy” she knows and in a tribute to mark his 11th 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡day, the proud mom wrote, “Munchkin, you are so funny, full of life, and love.”

“My oh my have you’ve grown. You will be taller than me any minute,” she continued. “Raising you has been the biggest blessing I could ask for. My heart beats for you!”

Tia Mowry Instagram

In March 2022, Tia revealed that her son got accepted into his dream school. Alongside a video of Cree’s emotional reaction, Tia wrote, “SO proud of @creehardrict for getting accepted into the school of his DREAMS. As a mother, my goal was and is always to support and give my 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren the opportunities I never had as a 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥 and this week, BOTH of our dreams came true! Congrats, Cree it’s only up from here. Mommy loves you and we got you! .”

Cree turned 12 in June 2023 — and Tia took the opportunity to gush about her son on Instagram.

“He is growing into a kind, generous, compassionate, independent, and smart young man that I am so proud to call my son,” she captioned a carousel of images. “I am just endlessly proud of him, and even though he tries to act grown, he’ll always be my 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦!”

Cairo Hardrict, 6Tia Mowry Instagram

Tia announced in 2017 that she was pregnant with her second 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥. The Sister, Sister actress and Cory’s first daughter, Cairo Tiahna Hardrict, was 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 on May 5, 2018. “Feeling grateful and blessed as we welcome our little 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦 girl into the world,” Tia captioned a picture of herself cradling her 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦 girl. “We are in heaven.”

Like her big brother, Cairo’s initials are also C.T.H. “We like uni𝓈ℯ𝓍 names,” Tia told PEOPLE ahead of her daughter’s arrival.

The actress later revealed her daughter’s “unique” name in a video on Facebook. “Her name is Cairo Tiahna Hardrict. Cairo, it basically means victorious. My husband, he was in the air, flying. He always feels like he’s closer to his mother when he’s up in the air. And he said when he was flying, he had seen the letters A, I and R, in the sky. He said that he wanted the 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦’s name to have those letters,” she explained.

“Tiahna is spelled T-I-A-H-N-A so it has Tia in there. Tiahna actually means follower of Christ. Also, Tiahna is one of the first African princesses, so she is our little princess here. And her last name is Hardrict,” Tia continued.

Tia Mowry Instagram

On Cairo’s 3rd 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡day in 2021, Tia wrote that she was “so glad” she “didn’t give up” on having another 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥. “Having 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren was never easy for me. Maybe that’s why I waited so long to try and go for a second round. I will tell you this, I am so glad I didn’t give up,” she admitted. “#Cairo, you have changed my life in so many beautiful ways. Being your mother brings me so much joy! You are hilarious, funny, smart, and full of hugs and kisses.”

For The Mistle-Tones actress, “nothing is better than getting ready” with her little girl, whom she refers to as her mini-me. In August 2022, Tia posted a video of herself and Cairo wearing matching outfits, as well as color-coordinated dresses. “I love twinning with my mini-me!!” she wrote in the caption.

Aside from striking poses in stylish outfits, Cairo also knows how to strike a pose underwater, or so she did in a video shared by her mom later that month. Alongside a “Then vs. Now” video of Cairo swimming, Tia wrote, “Cairo is officially water safe!! …Now do I call the Olympics, or do they call me?.”

Tia Mowry Instagram

In 2023, Tia celebrated her “special little girl” on her 5th 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡day with a video montage featuring photos and clips of Cairo set to Sneha Prakash’s “So This Is Love.”

She captioned the tribute, “It feels like just yesterday she was just a tiny 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦, and now she’s a little less tiny (but always my 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦), and I can’t even believe she’s five years old already! I’m already so proud of this little one and the amazing human she is becoming. She has taught me so much as a mother and a person, and words can’t convey how much I love her!!”

When she was younger, Cairo sometimes mistook her aunt Tamera for her mother. “When my daughter Cairo was looking at my sister’s daughter [Ariah Talea Housley], she goes, ‘Cairo?’ We feel like Cairo and Ariah look alike,” Tia told PEOPLE in 2020. “And then when she looks at my sister Tamera, she’ll go, ‘Mama’ because she thinks it’s me.” Tia joked, “That’s what it’s like having a twin in the family.”