Tisha Campbell may be a comedy queen in entertainment, but lately it’s been her kids stealing the shine on social media.
The actress and mom of two got some raw, hilarious shade from her sons over her bold look at an awards show.
The “Martin” star had just returned from the BET Awards on June 9 when she decided to share her glamorous transformation with her sons, Xen and Zeke. Their unfiltered critiques turned into a viral moment, proving that nobody keeps you humble like your own kids, especially when the cameras are on.
What she expected to be a proud reveal of her red carpet look instead turned into an impromptu roasting session that she later shared with her Instagram followers.
On June 21, Campbell posted the encounter with a caption that perfectly summed up the parental struggle: “It be yo OWN kids!!! These dudes don’t know nuthin about fashion or style so I don’t even know why in the hell I ask them any damn thing.”
The video begins with her explaining her mission to capture her sons’ genuine reactions.
“OK, I’m fresh off the BET awards right but my sons haven’t seen my hair like this so we’re going to see their natural reactions,” she announced before making her grand entrance into the kitchen where her young men were seated.
Sporting a long red wig tucked under a Yankees cap, Campbell walked in with confidence, greeting her boys with a simple “Guys, I’m home.”
Xen, her 23-year-old son, looked up and drily asked, “What … happened … to you?”
View this post on Instagram
See AlsoInside the Influencer vs. Playmate Feud That Blew Up L.A.’s Hottest Taco JointThe Grammys Add New Country Category for 2026Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce's Rare Public Outings During BreakHideo Kojima on How His Illness Affected ‘Death Stranding 2,’ Developing A24 Film Adaptation and Why His Collaboration With GU Is About More Than Fashion
When Campbell tried to explain that she had just come from an award show, her younger son Zeke, 15, pressed further with “What happened to your hair?”
The frustration in Campbell’s voice was palpable as she repeated her explanation about returning from the award show.
The conversation took a particularly savage turn when Xen, maintaining perfect deadpan delivery, said “I hope you won.”
“I wasn’t nominated for nothing, fool,” she in mock exasperation before saying, “I don’t care what y’all say. A lot of people liked this. A lot of people liked my hair at the award show. A lot of people.”
When Zeke casually asked “Like who,” Campbell scrambled for validation, eventually declaring, “Like… like… uhmm… SZA!”
The moment reached peak comedy when Xen asked “Anyone else?” and Campbell could only repeat “Ohh … yeah… SZA …. “
This set up Xen’s devastating punchline: “Why don’t you SZA (scissor) that off your head?”
Campbell’s reaction of “oh oh oh oh … That’s messed up!” only encouraged her sons to continue their comedic jabs.
The young men didn’t stop there, comparing their mother to both a “Bleeding Mop” and a “Dryocopus pileatus,” the latter of which is a large, crow-sized woodpecker with a red crest, white neck stripe, and a mostly black body. That comparison particularly delighted Campbell’s Instagram followers, who flooded the comments with their own reactions to her family dynamic.
Pileated woodpeckers (Dryocopus pileatus). The chicks have already fledged the nest. #wildlifephotography #birdphotography #birdwatching #BirdsSeenIn2025 #birdcpp pic.twitter.com/TUijXQJAvF
— Felipe Pimentel (@Fpimentel1954) June 6, 2025
The social media response was overwhelmingly positive, with fans appreciating both the humor and the authentic family relationship on display.
“Comparing you to the unknown bird is hilarious,” one person commented, while another observed, “Hope you won. man these boys are something else with their mamas!!”
Campbell herself joined the comment conversation, defending her style choices while playfully throwing shade back at the boys: “Don’t pay no damn attention to these kids! Xen wears loafers with tube socks and shorts!!!!!”
Other fans couldn’t contain their amusement, with one writing “That was a Martin comment lol…Sza that off,” while another made a connection to Campbell, noting “It’s funny to see how much of Tisha’s personality was Gina. She’s a funny person.”
The interaction also sparked nostalgic memories, with one longtime fan sharing “I officially know I’m old. I still remember Tisha singing on PBS and she could not have been no more than four or five years old. I’m still rocking with ya Tisha.”
This playful exchange showcases the special relationship Campbell has cultivated with her sons, Xen and Ezekiel Martin, whom she shares with ex-husband Duane Martin.
Despite Xen’s autism diagnosis at 18 months, he has thrived academically, currently studying science in college to be an aspiring zoologist while working two jobs with plans to pursue graduate school, according to his mother. This might be why he referred to the woodpecker by its scientific name.
The family’s candid conversations aren’t limited to fashion critiques. Campbell has previously claimed Zeke once questioned her racial identity due to her lighter complexion, refusing to believe she was Black until she explained that African-Americans “come in an array of colors.”
Meanwhile, fans frequently comment on Zeke’s strong resemblance to his father, with many noting how he has inherited Duane Martin’s distinctive features as he’s grown into his adulthood.
Xen and Zeke, whether likening her to a woodpecker or critiquing her style, gift their mother authenticity intertwined with genuine family laughter.
Campbell did more than reveal her new hair color at the BET Awards. While on the red carpet, she revealed that she recently had a “mommy makeover” during an interview with “Entertainment Tonight.”
Tisha Campbell kept it all the way real about getting a mommy makeover, and we love a woman who owns her truth 👏🏾 https://t.co/ZA23Q4LtFp pic.twitter.com/bRT9LyDhou
— xoNecole (@xonecole) June 18, 2025
“I recently got plastic surgery. It was a mommy makeover. I had extra skin from the baby, and a little bit of drop this here, and a little bit of drop this there, and they tightened me together,” Campbell proudly toldthe correspondent.
She said as a single mom, who finalized the last part of her divorce from Martin this year, she wanted to be transparent about the procedure she received.
“I think it’s more important to be honest to know that I didn’t get all this by myself. It’s nice to be a little more snatched around that area for me. It’s not for everybody, but it was for me,” Campbell stated.
