In addition to maintaining a successful career, Sister, Sister star and TV personality, Tamera
Mowry , has carved out time for a fulfilling personal life. So what's her secret sauce?
From devoted mother to effervescent talk show host, here's how Mowry does it all alongside
her husband, Adam Housley .
"It's been a fun adventure so far. So far. Knock on wood.”
It appears that these two have a lot in common. While Adam Housley didn't grow up on camera
like his wife did, he does know what it's like to live under the watchful eye of the
media. Back in the day, he played baseball for Pepperdine University — pitching on
the 1992 National Champion College World Series team — and he then went on to be drafted
by the Montreal Expos and played for the Detroit Tigers and the Milwaukee Brewers minor league
organizations too.
According to Hollywood Life, Housley eventually hung up his cleats and then became a journalist,
starting his career at a local NBC TV station in Chico, California. He later found employment
with the Fox News network and traveled to the Middle East to cover the Iraq War from
the front lines, as well as the Japanese earthquake in 2011. According to his site, he's won several
awards, including an Emmy, for his outstanding efforts.
Considering that both Mowry and Housley work in the entertainment industry, it would be
easy to assume that they met through their Hollywood connections. But in reality, the
couple was set up by a college professor at Pepperdine, where Mowry was also a student.
As Housley told Yahoo! Life, his former economics professor had displayed snaps of his, quote,
"favorite students" by his desk — and one of those pictures happened to be of Mowry.
Housley — who says he had no idea that Mowry was a famous actor — noticed her photo,
in particular, which led his professor to make an introduction.
"Tia was on the wall, too. My twin. Yep. And so he said, 'Which one did you choose? They're
twins.' I went, uh-oh, twins. And he says, 'I think she's the single one.'"]
But at the time, Mowry wasn't looking for a relationship. So, she offered her email
address as an easy way out. But apparently, Housley's message ended up winning over the
actor. She said,
"I always say, 'He got me with his words.'"
"You're very smart. Wait, can I get that on tape?"
The couple went on their very first date on New Year's Day in 2005 and, of course, totally
hit it off.
"I'm actually really embarrassed to talk about this. I'm really embarrassed."
Mowry and Housley had been together for several years when they tied the knot in 2011. But
unlike many couples, they didn't shack-up before they made it official. According to
XO Necole , Mowry was a virgin until she turned 29, and after that, remained celibate until
she and Housley got married. It was all happening out of respect for their Christian religion,
and the strategy paid off for the star. She explained on The Real,
"You know, once I got married with Adam and all of that, I knew what I wanted."
"I was like no, no, no, babe, oh, right here, right here. And he liked that."
While Mowry stood by her convictions, she admitted to Ebony that she couldn't have done
it without a supportive network of friends and family to encourage her.
Even though Housley was instantly smitten with Mowry, their courtship wasn't all smooth
sailing. Mowry revealed that the couple split up when they were dating, admitting to Ebony,
"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."
"You know I've talked about when Adam and I broke up for a year, and then we got back
together and obviously we're married."
Mowry revealed on The Real that while she tried to date other men during the break,
no one measured up to the bond she'd had with Housley, so the two got back together. According
to People, Mowry announced their engagement in January 2011, and she and Housley were
married later that year.
A touch of "bridezilla"?
"Can you believe it's been nine years? My God. What's happening?"
Mowry certainly didn't skimp on going all out when planning her perfect day. She explained
to Wonderwall that she's a huge fan of weddings in general. So it's no surprise, then, that
she took to the preparation with a passion. She told the outlet,
"I was definitely controlling, but in my mind I was a good controlling, not a bridezilla."
Mowry was so set on creating the perfect day that she had trouble making decisions, like
getting enough cake for their hundreds of guests. She admitted that she could have used
some guidance, like users offered on the Facebook Watch show, Help Us Get Married.
"Do you think Facebook got it right for you guys? I really am super happy. Our day was
perfect and it's gonna be something we'll remember forever."
Mowry hosted the show, which profiled newly engaged couples who were planning their weddings
with a little help from Facebook polls.
Mowry and her husband are both very spiritual, and their faith has been a huge part of their
relationship. Not only was it the reason that they waited to be physically intimate, but
it's also the guiding light of their marriage. Mowry paid tribute to their beliefs, posting
on Instagram in 2015,
"People always ask what makes our love our love? Persistence, forgiveness, unconditional
love, honesty, communication, but most importantly our relationship with God."
"Make sure you find someone who will respect your morals and your values because you don't
wanna find yourself changing who you are."
Mowry revealed to Essence that she initially tried what she called "missionary dating"
in past relationships in which she tried to change the person, but found that the strategy
didn't work. She explained that Housley is just as committed to their faith as she is,
telling the outlet,
"I dated guys who did not share those same beliefs and it was hard."
These days, Mowry and Housley are busy raising a beautiful family together. The couple has
two children, their son Aden and their daughter, Ariah . After Aden was born, Mowry revealed
to Essence that becoming a mom was something that she had always envisioned for herself,
adding,
"I'm a nurturer, a girly girl."
But as much as she loves her family, Mowry's not planning on adding to her brood any time
soon. While she says she might consider adopting a third child in the future, she explained
that there are challenges with raising kids as she gets older. She said,
"You don't realize how often you're picking them up and then your back goes out. […] You
need the energy."
It's obvious that Mowry adores her husband. She once told Wonderwall,
"He literally is my best friend and I can talk to him about anything. He gets life,
and there's a sense of security in that. I feel safe with him."
Further explaining his caring and generous nature, Mowry later revealed to Ebony,
"I love Adam because he has a beautiful soul. This man, it hurts him not to care. […] He
is the most generous human being I have ever met. He’s constantly giving. And he doesn’t
brag about it."
"Is that good? You like that? Bam."
Mowry added that Housley fully dedicates himself to his family, and even inspires Mowry to
be her best, too.
In 2018, Housley came under fire because of his previous employment at the Fox News network.
His association with the typically conservative channel drew accusations from some that he
was racist, which led Mowry to try to set the record straight. She said point blank,
on The Real,
"Ima look in that camera right there and let everybody know my husband is not a racist."
Housley even left his job at Fox due to his growing unease with network management. While
he said in a statement that he was leaving in order to focus on his family, a former
Fox employee told Politico,
"[Housley was] unhappy with the tone of the conversation of the channel."
In spite of Mowry's staunch defense of her husband, rumors about Housley persisted. Two
years later, he finally tweeted,
"Some of you attack me because I don’t support Trump […] now a few trolls attack my wife
and I on Instagram claiming I am all Trump. […] None of you were in the voting booth
with me. All I care about is fairness and truth."
"Are you guys foodies? Ugh. Does the sun come up in the morning? I love food."
Mowry is quite the talented chef, revealing to Today that she even once pitched a cooking
show with her twin sister, Tia Mowry. It's a passion that she also shares with her husband,
and the couple regularly share their foodie adventures on Instagram Live. The duo even
competed on an episode of Food Network's Celebrity Cupcake Wars in 2016, with Mowry blogging
of her husband,
"He's so great in the kitchen!"
The couple competed against three other teams, winning the competition with their wine-flavored
cupcakes and jalapeño cornbread. Mowry and Housley then donated their winnings to Snowball
Express, a charity dedicated to providing services for the children of U.S. military
soldiers who have died.
Mowry and Housley clearly share a very strong bond, but that doesn't mean their marriage
doesn't have its critics. As Mowry shared on a 2014 episode of Oprah's Where Are They
Now, she has received many hurtful comments regarding the fact that she and Housley are
an interracial couple.
"People choose to look past love, and spew hate. That's what hurts me."
Mowry, whose own mother is Black and whose father is white, told Momtastic that she has
always focused on the person, not their color — and certainly 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 Mowry told the outlet,
"I said, 'Mom, what are you talking about? It’s 2005. People aren’t going to care!'
But she was right. [My parents] were an interracial couple at a time when it wasn’t the norm
at all. It’s becoming more the norm now, but it’s still hard."
While she was shocked by the negative comments she received at the start of her relationship
with Housley, Mowry says of the current culture,
"I think the criticism is even worse now, with the racial tension that we’re seeing
and the political climate. But my husband [said] […] 'This is just teaching you to
focus on the thousands of people that are for you, as opposed to the very few people
who are against you.'"
Having their marriage attacked by perfect strangers is, of course, a constant challenge,
but it appears to have strengthened their bond even more.
The COVID-19 pandemic completely changed daily life for most of the world — and it appears
that even celebrities weren't immune to the challenges. Mowry admitted to Us Weekly that
lockdowns and 24/7 togetherness hasn't exactly been easy, admitting of her marriage,
"It definitely has tested our relationship."
Mowry explained that since both she and Housley are self-described "workaholics," being stuck
at home all day with each other was a brutal uphill climb. Considering that the two are
used to busy schedules, having less activity to occupy their time and being in quarantine
led to a lot of extra stress. But, eventually, the couple settled into a new routine and
found ways to nurture their relationship.
Mowry explained to Us Weekly that, on the flip side, the time at home gave her the chance
to grow even closer with her children. Sounds like there are silver linings all around.
Like many stars, Mowry and Housley own a vacation home. The couple's primary residence is in
Los Angeles, and their second home is in Napa , where Mowry and her husband enjoy a slower,
more luxurious pace.
"All the hard work really paid off, I guess that's what I'm trying to say. It feels good.
I think we make a great team. Who, you and I? Yeah."
But it isn't all leisure for the couple, when they're in Napa. The two co-own Housley's
Century Oak Winery with his parents, brother, and sister-in-law. While their residence is
close by the winery and vineyard, Mowry admitted to Wine Spectator,
"Adam and I live a very packed life."
While Housley's family is originally from Napa, the region was new to Mowry. But she
quickly fell in love with it, adding,
"Nothing is too pristine; it's very natural."
As busy as this couple is with their careers and their family life, they still find plenty
of time for globetrotting. Housley even proposed to Mowry in 2011 on a trip to Venice, Italy.
"We vacation differently. He likes to do, do, do, do, go, go, go, go, go…"
"I would just like to look at the ocean. She wants to sit."
Even after years of marriage, the pair still loves to travel — with a couple additional
guests tagging along for the ride. Mowry revealed in a 2019 interview with Hollywood Life that
she and her husband did quite a bit of traveling together before they had children, but she
says,
"Now our kids are at the age where we can take them."
And in celebration of their love of wine and wanderlust, Wine Spectator noted that the
couple are building a collection of bottles that they've picked up all around the world,
during their travels.
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