Facts reviewed by Editor at Celebrity Digest
Chlora Lawrence was famous as the mother of actor Martin Lawrence. He is well known for the Bad Boys franchise, Boomerang, Big Momma’s house, and so on.
Similarly, her son Martin is a multi-talented person. He is an actor, comedian, producer, writer, and director. Moreover, he has won NAACP Image Award twice and has been nominated multiple times for the Kids’ Choice Award. Besides, he was a Golden Gloves boxing contender as well.
That being said let’s talk about his mom now. Did you know that she raised her children all by herself? How many children did she have? When did she die? Chlora Lawrence’s journey from hardship to a happy ending. We will discuss all that in the article below.
Martin Lawrence’s Mother Chlora Lawrence
Chlora Lawrence was born to Rock Kilgore and Majorie Bailey on 24th July 1930 in Brevard, North Carolina.
She was an Afro-American by her ethnicity and had US citizenship. As for her religion, she was a Christian and was baptized at Bethel Baptist Church in Brevard.
When did Chlora Walk Down The Aisle?
Chlora married John Lawrence on 31 July 1959. John was her longtime friend and whom she met while she stayed in New York with her mother.
As Lawrence was in Army, they didn’t get to meet quite often but they used to talk about the old-time memories when they did and cherish the moment together. Gradually, the duo fell in love and dated for a few months before tying the knot.
Chlora Lawrence and John’s Divorce
As her husband was in the air force and stationed in Germany, the family got to travel to many places around the world. However, their journey together soon came to an end when Chlora and John divorced in the early 70s when Martin was just 8-yrs old.
With the divorce, she was stuck in a dilemma as she was left on her own to raise their children. During her days of struggle, she moved from New York to Maryland along with her children in search of jobs.
On the other hand, her husband left the military and became a police officer. He would rarely contact her or the children and the relationship turned hostile between the kids and their father.
Chlora Lawrence the Mother of six
As per some sources, she has six children from her marriage with her ex-husband John Lawrence. However, the details of her other two kids apart from daughters and sons namely Rae Proctor, Ursula, Robert, and Martin Lawrence are missing. So, let’s move on to her children now.
Unknown Facts About Chlora Lawrence’s Children
Martin was Named After Two of the Prominent People of American History
Yep! Chlora and her husband aspired to name their son after two of the most distinguished leaders of American history, Martin Luther King Jr and President John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Thus, the name Martin Fitzgerald Lawrence. Also, he is their 4th child amongst the six.
Martin and Her Other Kids were More Close to Their Mom Chlora Than Their Dad
A mother’s job is a 24/7 duty for which you don’t get paid nor thanked enough but you still have a big warm smile at the end of the day on your face seeing your children happy. It was very hard for her to raise six children without any solid jobs but momma handled it perfectly.
She worked as a cashier in two places. Likewise, she worked in many places day and night just so she could provide them with good food and education.
But sometimes it’s hard to fake a smile if you’ve had a bad day. Following her divorce, she used to procrastinate a lot and worry about the future. Seeing his mother stressed Martin would crack some jokes and act funny to cheer her up.
It wouldn’t be wrong to say that Chlora was the main reason behind Martin’s outstanding comedy as it was for his mother that Martin started doing comedy after all.
Did You Know Martin Lawrence Recommended Will Smith for Bad Boys?
Well, we all know Bad Boys is a blockbuster movie and both the lead actors are widely acclaimed for their roles in it. But did you know Martin was already cast for the Bad Boys movie and it was him who had recommended his fellow actor and friend Will Smith?
Martin revealed during his appearance on Ellen DeGeneres’s show that it was actually his sister Rae’s idea who suggested that he would share great chemistry with Will. Apparently, it did as we can’t imagine any other playing the role of Mike and Marcus in the buddy cop movie. The bromance and their comedy timing along with all the action scenes are just lit.
Chlora’s Other Kids. What are Marin’s Siblings Doing?
Apart from Martin, Chlora’s other kids are also involved in the entertainment industry. Her daughter Rae Proctor has worked as a producer in movies Nothing to Lose, Raptors, and the sitcom Martin. Apart from that Rae is also the personal assistant of her celebrity brother Martin Lawrence.
Likewise, her son Robert Lawrence has worked as an executive producer in the stand-up comedy film Runteldat starring his brother Martin. Furthermore, he has also assisted Martin in a handful of projects and is a retired Army.
Chlora’s Grandchildren
Chlora Lawrence has three granddaughters namely Jasmine Page Lawrence, Iyanna Faith Lawrence, and Amara Trinity Lawrence. Her granddaughters are from her son Martin Lawrence’s marriage with actress Patricia Southall and his second wife Shamicka Gibbs who is an entrepreneur and a chef.
While Jasmine is the eldest and from Martin’s former ex-wife, the latter two are from his relationship with his second ex-wife Shamicka.
Chlora Lawrence’s Cause of Death
Sadly, Martin’s mom, Chlora Lawrence passed away on 28th Aug 2008 right after a month of celebrating her 78th birthday. On the occasion of what would have been her 80th birthday, Martin took to his Insta page and paid a tribute to his mother with an emotional caption.
View this post on Instagram
The cause of her death, however, is still unknown.
How Much Does Chlora’s Son Martin Lawrence Make?
Despite having to bear a lot and going through all those hardships raising her children, she did get to live in comfort in her ending days. Her celebrity son Martin Lawrence is a multi-millionaire today and has $110 million worth of total assets.
Though she couldn’t make it to her 80s she definitely got the respect and enjoyed the fame and fortune of her son. And she must have been proud of her boy.
