Brian Austin Green revealed on the January 14 episode of Dean Cole’s Funny Knowing You podcast that he once dated Tichina Arnold during his Beverly Hills, 90210 days. The actor, 52, shared intimate details about their secret relationship and why it ultimately ended.
At a Glance
- Brian Austin Green confirmed he dated Tichina Arnold while filming 90210 and she starred on Martin
- Arnold insisted their relationship remain secret, which triggered Green’s insecurities
- The relationship ended after Arnold realized it wasn’t “going anywhere”
- Green says they’ve since cleared the air and still talk occasionally
- Why it matters: The rare Hollywood interracial romance from the 1990s highlights how secrecy and personal insecurities can derail even genuine connections
Green recalled how their romance began while both were starring in popular 1990s sitcoms. “Tichina, she was doing Martin at the time when I was doing 90210,” he said. “She was singing. I was producing. So, I became friends with her and Tisha [Campbell] quick. That was an easy friendship. Tisha’s amazing also.”
Their professional collaboration quickly turned personal. “So then Tichina started coming by the house and I was just playing beats, and I was like ‘Oh yeah, let’s work on some stuff,'” Green continued. “And we were doing that and then we ended up, because we were working together, we were around each other all the time, we just got along really well. So we ended up fooling around and kind of dating.”
Secrecy Requirements Created Tension
However, Green told Cole that Arnold immediately established strict boundaries for their relationship that challenged his understanding of their connection.
“I think coming from Martin, she was very clear…she was very clear on day one that, ‘Nobody can know about this,'” Green shared.
The secrecy requirement deeply affected the young actor’s self-esteem. “So… I was in my early 20s, I was living in a culture that wasn’t accepting of me but there was no way to get out of it because that was just where my brain and my heart were,” he explained. “So I was really insecure and then I have someone who I’m really attracted to who’s telling me like, ‘you can’t tell anybody.’ I think for me it really triggered something, like, ‘I’m not really good enough for any of this. You don’t even want your friends to know that you’re hanging out with me.'”
When Cole asked if Green wanted to go public with their relationship, the actor admitted his initial desires quickly shifted to acceptance of the hidden nature of their romance. “I wanted to in the beginning for sure and then I quickly felt like, ‘Oh okay….I have to shut the f— up, you know, and sit in the back of the car like I’m happy to be in the car.'”
Relationship Progressed Then Stalled
Green revealed that Arnold eventually became more comfortable with the idea of them dating after they attended Regina King’s wedding in Jamaica together. Despite this progress, he had already convinced himself that their relationship wasn’t legitimate.
“… My head didn’t understand,” he said. “And I then still felt insecure and weird out with her, and I had that thing of like people are looking at me funny, or they’re wondering, ‘Why the f— am I here or who does this guy think he is?’ So I was mind-f—ing myself during that time period.”
The actor confirmed that he and Arnold have since resolved any lingering issues from their past and maintain occasional contact. In fact, he mentioned they had spoken earlier on the day he recorded Cole’s podcast.
Arnold’s Perspective on the Breakup
Arnold previously shared her version of events on Cole’s podcast in late December, explaining her reasoning for ending the relationship. “I told him, I said, ‘The reason why we’ve come to the end of our road, because I know I see you dating all these Black women now, you’re dating me and you’re not going to end up with a Black woman.'”
She continued, “‘You’re going to share your riches and your legacy with someone White. And so I’m getting off this train,'” adding that she recognized the relationship wasn’t “going anywhere.”
Despite the relationship’s end, Arnold characterized it as “a great experience,” explaining, “Because he was a good human being. He was a good human being. And I think in life I had to experience that, so I know what the other side is.”
Key Takeaways
- Green and Arnold’s secret 1990s romance highlights the complexities of interracial relationships in Hollywood during that era
- The relationship’s hidden nature created significant emotional challenges for Green, who struggled with feelings of inadequacy
- Arnold’s decision to end things was based on her belief that Green would ultimately marry someone outside the Black community
- Both parties have moved on amicably, with Arnold describing Green as “a good human being” and Green confirming they remain in contact
- The candid discussion on Cole’s podcast provides rare insight into celebrity relationships that were kept hidden from the public eye
