Tisha Campbell and Duane Martin
Happier times: Actress Tisha Campbell (L) and Duane Martin arrive at the 38th annual NAACP Image Awards held at the Shrine Auditorium on March 2, 2007 in Los Angeles, California Getty

Tisha Campbell-Martin and is preparing to divorce her husband Duane Martin after almost three decades of marriage.

The 49-year-old actress, who rose to fame as Gina in 90s sitcom Martin alongside Martin Lawrence, confirmed the end of their union in a statement to People, admitting she was devastated.

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"After 27 years of being together and two amazing children, it pains me to announce that I've filed for divorce," she said.

"It's an emotional time and I graciously ask for privacy for me, our children and the rest of our family."

Also sharing the news via Twitter, she added: "@DUANEMARTIN_ said to me Best this morn 'we are family FOREVER.'"

The couple tied the knot in 1996 after he popped the questions at a Denny's restaurant. They have sons Xen, 16 and Ezekiel, 8, together.

The divorce announcement caps off a turbulent few years for the actress. In 2016 she and her soon-to-be ex-husband filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, after accumulating over $15m (£10.5m) in debt

Their financial woes were detailed in court documents obtained by E! News, in which the pair stated they had only have $313,000 in assets between them. The also revealed that their Xen Restaurant in Sherman Oaks and production studio XE Visions, Inc are no longer turning a profit.

"We got involved with some loans before the crash, couldn't agree to a settlement with the banks, so we filed to reorganise," the couple said in a joint statement to E! News at the time.

Earlier in February Campbell-Martin sparked speculation of a Martin reboot when she was spotted out to lunch with former co-stars Martin Lawrence and Tichina Arnold.

Campbell isn't the only one to enjoy acting success. Duane starred in hit film White Men Can't Jump and most recently was part of the cast on Real Husbands of Hollywood with Kevin Hart.