During the early 2000s, Jennifer Freeman was one of the hottest young stars on TV. As one of the main cast members of the popular Black sitcom My Wife and Kids, Jennifer quickly became a fan favorite. Her work on the show proved that she had serious potential and many expected her to go on to have a long and successful career in the entertainment industry. However, when the show ended in 2005, Jennifer began to fade from the spotlight. Although she continued to act, her roles were small and went mostly unnoticed. In the years since the show’s end, many fans have wondered what became of the actress. The answer is one that includes lots of ups and downs. Continue reading to find out what Jennifer Freeman has been up to since My Wife and Kids.
Jennifer’s Acting Journey
Jennifer was born and raised in the Long Beach, California area. There isn’t any information on what made her decide to get into acting, but we do know it’s something she showed an interest in at a relatively early age. Jennifer was only about 15 years old when she made her on-screen debut in 2000. Her first few roles may have been small, but they were in popular shows such as 7th Heaven and Lizzie McGuire. Although it can usually take an actor several years to finally get their big break, that wasn’t the case for Jennifer. Just a year after landing her first on-screen role, Jennifer was cast in My Wife and Kids. Her role as Claire Kyle completely changed the trajectory of her career. In what seemed like the blink of an eye, Jennifer went from a relatively unknown actress to a young star. Being on the show opened up other opportunities for her. While still on My Wife and Kids, Jennifer appeared in movies like You Got Served and Johnson Family Vacation. With success on the big and small screens, Jennifer seemed to be well on her way to becoming a major star, but unfortunately, things didn’t pan out that way.
The Decline of Jennifer’s Career
After My Wife and Kids, Jennifer appeared in a string of movies, but none of them were particularly successful. Even though Claire Kyle is still her most well-known role, Jennifer has continued to act over the years. Oftentimes, when an actor plays the same character for several years it becomes difficult for them to land other roles afterward. That appears to have been a factor in Jennifer’s lack of success after My Wife and Kids. That said, however, we weren’t able to find any specific details on why her career started to struggle after 2005. Part of the reason for the slow down may be due to the fact that Jennifer took some time to start a family. She began dating former professional basketball player Early Watson in the late 2000s. The couple married in 2009 and they have one child together. Sadly, things in their relationship didn’t work out. In 2010, Jennifer was accused of assaulting Earl. The couple ultimately decided to go their separate ways for good in 2015.
Jennifer’s Struggles With Mental Health
In 2019, Jennifer opened about the challenges she’s faced with depression. According to Madame Noire, she said,
“I wanted to share with you guys something I’ve struggled with most of my life, and that is loving myself. I have been on a journey to loving myself for a while now…I just really got to a point in my life where I was really depressed. I just hated myself, I hated my life, I felt so alone. I just didn’t understand why my outside didn’t match up with how I was feeling inside. I just really couldn’t pull myself up out of it. I just asked God why do I feel like this? Why do I hate myself so much and why don’t I feel comfortable in my own skin? And He really took me on this process to restoring my identity.”
What’s Next For Jennifer?
If you’re a fan of Jennifer’s work, you’ll be excited to know that she currently has some projects in the pipeline, some of which will be released before the end of 2021. In addition to acting, Jennifer is also a published author. She released her first book in 2018. Outside of her work, it appears that Jennifer is enjoying life. She has a large social media following and she has become an ambassador for several brands. On top of that, Jennifer loves being a mom and she spends as much time with her daughter as she can.
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