What does being a “single mom” actually mean? Comments made by Sister, Sister star Tia Mowry have sparked a debate about who gets to use the term to describe themselves. Does it describe a mom who is raising a child all on her own, without any support from a partner? Can those who have some co-parenting arrangement still use the term? Apparently, it depends on who you ask — and many people had an issue with Tia’s take on the topic.
Tia and her ex-husband Cory Hardrict finalized their divorce in 2023.
At the time, they agreed to share legal and physical custody of their two children: 14-year-old son Cree and 7-year-old daughter Cairo. In December 2022, when they had already split up, Tia told TMZ that their kids would spend the holidays with both of their parents. “We are going to be spending the holidays with him, which we’re really excited about,” she said at the time. “With the whole family.”
Tia and Cory continue to maintain a positive co-parenting relationship. In April 2025, Cory spoke about how he’s made an effort to avoid any drama and to prioritize his kids. “If you really love your children, you won’t get involved in the noise or the mess,” he said. “I make sure that I always think about them first. I put myself last. If you do that, you’re going to avoid the mess.”
But Tia has described herself as a ‘single mom.’
Because Tia and Cory still maintain a positive co-parenting relationship, the fact that Tia has referred to herself as a “single mom” has perplexed — and even angered — some people. Tia recently responded to the backlash via Instagram.
Her lengthy post, which contained several slides of text, started with, “Why do I get backlash for calling myself a single mom?” The second slide read, “Family can look different than what we imagined and still be full of love, stability, and joy. This is my truth, and I want to share it.”
She argued that the meaning of ‘single mom’ is nuanced.
While many have argued that the term “single mom” describes a mom who does not have any support from a partner, Tia sees it differently. “Being a ‘single mom’ doesn’t always mean a mom doing it all alone without the father present in their kids’ lives at all,” she wrote. “I recognize that archetype is extremely difficult, and I truly empathize. But what often gets overlooked is the nuance of what being a single mom can actually mean.”
She continued with, “For me, in my household, I am SINGLE. I don’t have a partner, so I’m holding it down for everyone at home. I’m the only parent present day to day.”
Tia also emphasized that her post was not only about explaining her usage of the term “single mom,” but also about “recognizing we need to normalize different family dynamics.”
Later in the post, she wrote, “It takes a VILLAGE to raise kids, single mom or not. Asking for help from people you trust is key to a healthy family. What I want you to take from this: Being a single mom isn’t one way or one story. There are so many nuances.”
But people still disagreed.
Although Tia clarified that she is a single mom in her household (because her kids’ dad isn’t there on a day-to-day basis), some people asserted that she is a single woman and also a mother, but not a single mom. “Single parent/mom is one who does it alone,” one person argue. “24/7 they are the only person on duty. They do it all from sun up to sun down in addition to financing it all.”
A second person agreed, writing: “I’m a single woman, who co-parents. I reserve the term ‘single mom’ for someone who is without any assistance.”
“You’re actively co-parenting,” a third person added. “You are single and you are a mom. Two things can be true at once, however when people refer to themselves as a single mom typically it means they have their children 100% of the time without help which just isn’t the case for you.”
Others defended Tia.
The heated debate made some people realize just how controversial (and stigmatized) single motherhood is. “I only ever heard your definition of ‘single mom,'” one fan wrote to Tia. “These comments are making me realize it means different things to different people. Very eye opening!”
A second person jumped to Tia’s defense, writing: “Single refers to martial status. She is in fact a single mother. Just because she doesn’t fit into the stereotype of what a single mother has doesn’t change. Get out yall feelings.”
Meanwhile, a third person explained that they have “been coparenting for a while” and yet “never felt comfortable calling myself a single mom.” The commenter added, “What I’m learning from this is that people attach negative stigmas to the term ‘single mom’ or ‘single parent’ hence why we roll eyeballs around people who say they are single parents but co parent successfully and happily.”
Despite the controversy, some parents called Tia’s post “validating” and said it made them “feel seen.”
