Tisean from ‘Set It Off’ Is a Newlywed Again at 56 after Divorce & Loss of Daughters’ Father: ‘So Excited’
- Kimberly Elise's first marriage ended in divorce after over fifteen years.
- The showbiz star's former husband later died, leaving their two young kids without a dad.
- Elise, a woman of faith, has since found love again and announced she walked down the aisle last month with a man she believes was brought to her by God.
Famed actress Kimberly Elise has found love again as she recently announced that she walked down the aisle for the second time. The Hollywood star's first marriage ended in divorce, and her ex-husband died eighteen months later.
Elise took to her Instagram page, where she revealed she had remarried, and further divulged how her new relationship came to be. She is overjoyed.
Kimberly Elise attends the 2nd annual National Film and TV Awards at Globe Theatre on December 3, 2019 in Los Angeles, California | Source: Getty Images
Elise is "so excited" to embark on this new chapter in her life, according to the caption of her post, where she shared a montage of videos featuring special moments in the newlyweds' love story, including the couple conversing outdoors with a background view of the ocean. A clip of the proposal was also shared where Elise's new husband, George McCrary, gets down on one knee. She covers her face in disbelief and nods a yes, before warmly embracing him with a smile.
The clip further showed the lovebirds at the alter exchanging wedding vows, the groom in a navy-blue suit and the bride looking stunning in a white gown with her hair pinned in curls.
Kimberly Elise attends the 2018 American Black Film Festival Honors Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on February 25, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California | Source: Getty Images
Elise, who announced the news on September 9, 2023, captioned her post with a lengthy statement, grateful to her faith for bringing her and her husband together:
"After being introduced by our pastor last winter, a beautiful courtship, falling in love, and lots of prayer, we became engaged. Then, on August 19, 2023, we were blessed to become husband and wife. We made a covenant of holy matrimony before our closest friends, family, and most importantly before God."
Elise shared it was by the grace of God that she and her husband crossed paths, adding, "All glory to God! Love, Mr. and Mrs. George E., and Kimberly Elise McCrary."
The award-winning star, who is best known for starring in the 1996 hit crime movie, "Set It Off," has found love again at age 56, more than a decade after her divorce.
Elise Was Previously Married to Maurice Oldham with Whom She Has Two Kids
Long before meeting McCrary, Elise was married to photographer Marice Oldham, whom she wed in 1989. The couple welcomed two daughters, AjaBleu, in March 1990, and Butterfly, in October 1998.
However, following sixteen years of marriage, the pair divorced in 2005. Sadly, Oldham died close to two years later, in May 2007, leaving his two young kids, then 17 and 9, fatherless.
Kimberly Elise with her daughters AjaBleu and Butterfly during the "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" Los Angeles premiere at Arclight Hollywood on February 21, 2005 in Hollywood, California | Source: Getty Images
Elise was asked how she and the children were holding up at the time, and she said, "It's still pretty raw, thanks." The mother of two further disclosed:
"Eighteen months after we divorced, he died of a massive blood clot."
Kimberly Elise and her daughter AjaBleu during the 16th Annual Soul Train Music Awards at the L.A. Sports Arena on March 20, 2002 in Los Angeles, California | Source: Getty Images
Both Elise and Oldham's daughters have since left the nest, and the doting mom spoke candidly about it during an interview. While at a movie premiere in 2016, Elise revealed her oldest daughter, then 26, was graduating and her youngest daughter, Butterfly, had just turned 18.
When asked whether she was feeling empty nest syndrome, the star said yes. Elise explained that she became a mom at a young age and with her kids grown, she would have to make peace with being left alone once they moved out.
AjaBleu, now 33, grew up in Los Angeles, where she attended Immaculate Heart in Hollywood. She later enrolled at The American University of Paris in France, where she studied writing.
Actress Kimberly Elise and AjaBleu and Butterfly Oldham at the premiere of "Almost Christmas" at Regency Village Theatre on November 3, 2016 in Westwood, California | Source: Getty Images
AjaBleu is now best known for her New Media series, "Discovering Black-Owned Beauty." In a July 2023 interview, she delved further into what her business idea is all about.
AjaBleu explained the series "features beauty storefronts owned and operated by Blacks. Each episode explores high profile trends and treatments in self-care for multi-cultural consumers," adding she has the privilege of asking the featured business about their treatments.
Elise Is Best Known for Her Role in 'Set It Off' & Has Worked with Several Famous Stars
While AjaBleu has taken the beauty business route, her mother is a famous actress whose breakout role was in the 1996 movie, "Set It Off" where she played the character Tisean alongside Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Blair Underwood.
Born in April 1967 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Elise has featured in several other films, including the 1998 classic movie, "Beloved," in which she received critical acclaim for her performance.
The film also stars Oprah Winfrey, Danny Glover, and Thandiwe Newtown. The actress and executive also appeared alongside Denzel Washington in "The Manchurian Candidate" (2004).
She later starred in Tyler Perry's "For Colored Girls" (2010) alongside Whoopi Goldberg, Loretta Devine, Janet Jackson, Kerry Washington, and Phylicia Rashad.
Four years later, in 2014, Elise starred in the TV movie, "Apple Mortgage Cake" with Stephan James. She was also in the 2016 comedy-drama "Almost Christmas" with Gabriel Union, Mo'Nique, Omar Epps, and Romany Malco.
In addition to her list of many films, Elise has also starred in "John Q," "Gifted Hands," and the romance comedy "Diary of a Mad Black Woman." Another A-list celebrity she has worked with is actor Brad Pitt.
Although part of Hollywood, Elise has not forgotten her faith. When she turned 54 in April 2021, she shared photos of her baptism and said it was a rebirth for her.
"Though I was first baptized when I was 16 years old, and it was beautiful and powerful as the Holy Spirit filled me, there is something extraordinarily profound to so consciously give one's life to the Lord at my age," she penned on her Instagram post.
One image showed Elise being submerged in the water, and another featured her coming out with her hands held high in the air and her eyes closed. She admitted that after her first baptism as a teenager, she "wandered back into the world," but the Holy Spirit never left her.