Carl Payne On Why ‘Martin’ Was Canceled After Just 5 Seasons: ‘They Knew It Was Turmoil… I Believe They Ignored It’

Carl Payne On Why ‘Martin’ Was Canceled After Just 5 Seasons: ‘They Knew It Was Turmoil… I Believe They Ignored It’

Actor Carl Payne revealed his beliefs on why the 1990’s sitcom “Martin” ended abruptly nearly three decades ago.

Known for his role as Cole Brown on “Martin,” Carl Payne shared on the MATH HOFFA podcast that the show fell apart because of their bosses at the time.

“They knew it was turmoil in the camp, or just that, you know, that things weren’t gelling with folks, you know, and I believe they ignored it.”

He added that he believed the show’s bosses ignored the shift in energy between the cast because they wanted to get to “100 episodes, so we’re in syndication.”

When asked about Tisha Campbell leaving the show, Carl Payne quickly replied,

“I don’t speak on that kind of stuff, man. I don’t speak on it because it ain’t got nothing to do with me.”

(Tisha Campbell, who starred as Gina Waters, had sued lead actor Martin Lawrence in 1997, alleging he sexually harassed her on and off screen).

Before the interview with MATH HOFFA, Payne also opened up to People Magazine about the show’s ending, stating,

“I mean, you know, every family has its drama, its trials and tribulations, and things like that. And every good thing must come to an end.” 

Payne continued,

“I think it could have gone on longer, but it is what it is until it ain’t.”

Back in 2020, star Martin Lawrence also shared his side of the show’s final bow, telling GQ,

“Well, how can I say this? It just was time to end. Let’s just put it that way. It was just, at that time, there was some, um, there were some things that was being said that.”

In response to Tisha Campbell‘s legal claims, the comedian added, 

“We don’t need to talk about something that just didn’t happen. So I just decided to walk away from the show. I just decided to end it. People said that it got canceled, but that wasn’t the case. I decided to just leave the show.”

Yet, he made sure to make it known that his relationship with the actress is now on good terms.

“I love Tisha. I’ve seen her then and now, now and then, always with nothing but love. I have nothing but love for her, and I always have.”

According to multiple reports, one of the main reasons the show “Martin” was canceled was that by season 5, the relationship between Martin Lawrence and Tisha Campbell had utterly fallen apart. 

Martin Lawrence, Tisha Campbell

The two had known each other before the show, and according to Campbell, Martin Lawrence would constantly subject her to unwanted sexual advances, which only got worse once she got engaged. 

Campbell also alleged that Lawrence would grope her during sex scenes, to the point where she asked the writing team not to write anymore. Lawrence, an executive producer on the famous sitcom, would also allegedly verbally abuse the rest of the cast, sometimes threatening to get them fired.

By Martin’s season 5, Campbell had filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Lawrence, which resulted in her character, Gina, sitting out much of the season. The lawsuit was eventually settled, and Campbell returned for Martin’s final episodes, but under the condition that she did not have to share scenes with the Bad Boys star. 

Campbell’s return seemingly made for an incredibly awkward and largely regrettable series finale, in which characters Martin and Gina repeatedly exited sets before the other entered.

Ahead of the “Martin” reunion special that aired in 2022, the “My Wife and Kids” actress said that she and Lawrence “worked really hard to reconnect, to forgive.”

“This reunion is about a celebration of everything that we did, everything we accomplished and our growth as human beings. So we concentrated mostly on that.”

How do you feel about Carl Payne’s comments about why the sitcom “Martin” show ended? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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