‘I can no longer live in fear’: Tisha Campbell-Martin accuses husband Duane Martin of domestic abuse
Tisha Campbell-Martin says she can no longer suffer in silence and is accusing her estranged husband, Duane Martin, of subjecting her to years of domestic abuse.
According to TMZ, last week the “Martin” star filed for a restraining order against her ex, claiming that as recently as last month he flew into a violent rage towards her stating he “grabbed me by my arm to try to get me in the bedroom,” after claiming their son was sick.
The actress says she previously kept quiet in order to protect her relationship and her children. But according to court documents, the abuse had been going on since the beginning of their marriage in 1996.
READ MORE: Tisha Campbell seeking ‘spousal support and joint custody’ in divorce
“I had been emotionally, mentally and physically abused,” reads the affidavit. “I kept things hidden from my family his family our friends and the public, save a few very close friends and people who may have witnessed, over the past two decades, filing it away in the back of my mind to protect my family, the community and the public’s persona of my spouse.”
Campbell also alleges Martin berated her about her weight and inability to land roles because of it.
“She’s not Sherri Shepard or Kim Whitley,” Martin allegedly said, adding, “those girls know how to book for fat girls. Tisha can’t compete with them for those roles because she was never a big girl.”
READ MORE: Tisha Campbell’s estranged husband accused in bankruptcy scandal, report
TISHA CAMPBELL-MARTIN ACCUSES DUANE OF PHYSICAL ABUSE I Won't 'Live in Fear' of Him https://t.co/R7MEt9putm Any thoughts on this?
— Harvey Levin (@HarveyLevinTMZ) January 29, 2019
READ MORE: Tisha Campbell-Martin shocks fans with announcement she’s divorcing husband Duane Martin
The dispute over her weight allegedly spiraled so out of control that Martin eventually punched her “with a closed fist” in the chest. Campbell’s friends and family also provided supporting statements for the actress, corroborating her accounts.
“I can no longer live in fear of retaliation,” explains the actress. “The need [to] press criminal charges for his acts overshadows the embarrassment of making his crimes against me public through this report.”
Although the former couple is currently going through in a bitter divorce, a judge has granted Campbell a temporary restraining order, which requires Martin to stay at least 100 yards away from her.
