We’ve all heard rumors surrounding tension on the set of the Martin sitcom back in the day, but the rumors we mostly remember hearing were about how Martin Lawrence and Tisha Campbell couldn’t get along whatsoev.’ We never really heard that there was some major tension between actor, Carl Payne (“Cole) and Martin. So much so, that they were going at it on many occasions while on set, and Carl has now confirmed that.
In a prior interview with host, Jack Thriller, of ThisIs50.com, Carl let the cat outta the bag about what was really happening between them behind the scenes of the Martin sitcom. Read some of what he said below.
Carl Payne: “We Had A Lotta Tense Days On Set”
Carl said that at first he didn’t have a problem with Martin, but once Martin started doing some foul things to him, then he developed an issue with him and their tension lasted pretty much for the duration of the show.
“You know it’s no secret, we had a lotta tense days on the set…we had a LOT of tense days on the set. I live by a certain code of ethics, I from Harlem, you know how we do.”
Carl continued:
“Yeah we had issues, he [Martin Lawrence] had issues with himself really. I think he was battling his own demons, you know what I’m saying? I wish him nothing but the best, hopefully he’s better now, in a better place. I don’t think he was in a good place at that time and that’s pretty much it. It was a great place to work for a long time and then it became a not so great place to work. I keep it professional as long as I can, until you step over that line. You cross the line and you come at me in a way that I can’t sleep at night, or [if] I feel like you’re threatening me, then it’s a different story…period.
We were all like family…and sometimes families fight…families get down you know what I mean and I enjoyed myself to the fullest when we were doing it [filming the show], all of it.”
So, was Carl saying that Martin was threatening him? Wow, things got that heated?!!
The nail in the coffin was when the interviewer acknowledged that we’d all heard rumors about why the Martin show really went off the air, but that he also understood that we shouldn’t believe everything we here. Jack Thriller was alluding to the rumors about past tension between Martin and Tisha Campbell, as well as Martin’s alleged drug use at that time. Carl immediately responded by saying, “You should” believe the aforementioned rumors. In other words, they were apparently all facts.
*Video below contains graphic language*
Beef Squashed Decades Later, After Tommy’s Passing
Carl recently revealed that he and Martin had not spoken in many years, but in 2018 the passing of their dear friend/former Martin cast-mate, Tommy Ford, led to their cordial reunion at his funeral.
And there you have it people. Who would have ever thought “Cole” and “Martin” were beefin’ behind the scenes. Now that we know the real deal, we give them a big hand clap for doing a helluva job on the show and convincing us that they were cool as a fan. So glad they’ve finally let bygones be bygones.
