MAIA CAMPBELL-I WILL REMEMBER THE GOOD

By Richard Ray:

Maia Campbell was once the fantasy woman of millions of men. First coming to prominence as Tiffany on the NBC comedy “In The House” starring LL Cool J. The show ran for 3 plus years and with few network shows featuring POC she was a role model to many.  She became a fantasy to millions of men in part due to starring in two Tyrese videos; “Sweet Lady” and “Lately”.

She was smart beautiful and appeared to have it all. Yet, like most Hollywood success stories, there is always a dark side, and for Maia, hers seemed to come to light when she stopped taking her medication for her long diagnosed bi-polar disorder after the birth of her daughter. Off the meds Maia eventually became addicted to drugs and a once promising life spiraled out of control.

Over the last decade Maia has been arrested multiple times including for car theft, drug possession and prostitution. Needless to say the Maia of today is not the same as from the 90s. Many of you have seen pictures and videos. To those who have not, the Internet is always available if my word is not good enough. I will refrain from putting up those images or videos. I am far from a saint and definitely not the moral police, but I just do not need views, likes and comments enough to exploit the hardships that Maia Campbell is going through.

I chose to write about her, because her struggles with mental illness and drug addiction should be a reminder of the empathy that we should have for one another and not to take advantage or make fun of people who are clearly not in a position to properly care for nor defend themselves.

So I show the video and a few images of Maia, not to lament how far she has fallen, but rather to remind that there is a human side to the tragedy that far too many feel comfortable making jokes about. While I am never particularly optimistic that people with long standing history of drug addiction will ever fully abstain from the addiction and temptation, perhaps she will one of the exceptions. Perhaps the bi-polar medication can help supply a balance that otherwise does not exist.

Whatever the case, for Maia Campbell and all those out there struggling with addictions, if we are not able to give them help, the least we can do is continue to be empathetic and not participate in their further loss of dignity and humanity in their weakest of times.

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