Tia Mowry and her ex-husband, Cory Hardrict, just had a pretty clumsy encounter — and fans are wrecked over it.
While appearing on the red carpet at the Essence Black Women in Hollywood Awards on Thursday, the “Sister, Sister” star was speaking with HuffPost when she spotted Hardrict nearby.
Appearing unsure what to do, Mowry waved at the “All American: Homecoming” actor before he shakily approached her.
The two appeared to hesitate to hug one another but ultimately leaned in to embrace for what some fans deemed a non-romantic “church hug.”
Social media users sped to the comments section to react to the awkward moment.
“It’s the church hug fah’ me 👏🏾😂,” one person wrote.
Another joked, “They act like they don’t see each other when they drop the kids off.”
“Always odd to see how awkward things can get between people who were once together,” someone else commented.
Other users brushed off the former couple’s seemingly stiff run-in.
“He wasn’t sure if a handshake or hug was appropriate,” one person wrote. “AND they’re in public ― so maybe he wanted to also not cross any boundaries.”
Another commented, “That isn’t his wife anymore, so maybe he was just trying to respect her boundaries, especially in a public setting with cameras everywhere.”
Mowry announced her split from Hardrict in October 2022, and the divorce was finalized in April 2023. The former couple share joint physical custody of their children: son Cree, 12, and daughter Cairo, 5.
“The Game” leading lady opened up about the split on Instagram at the time.
“I have always been honest with my fans, and today is no different,” she wrote in a heartfelt Instagram post in 2022. “I wanted to share that Cory and I have decided to go our separate ways. These decisions are never easy, and not without sadness.”
Mowry added: “We will maintain a friendship as we co-parent our beautiful children. I am grateful for all the happy times we had together and want to thank my friends, family and fans for your love and support as we start this new chapter moving forward in our lives.”