In a recent interview, the Philadelphia native, who says she played a key role in the standup comic’s early career, made it clear that she would never jeopardize her children’s happiness.
Torrei and Hart were married from 2003-2011, welcoming two children, Heaven and Hendrix, during their marriage. Their daughter was between the ages of 4-5 when Kevin began dating Eniko Hart in 2009. Although there have been lingering tensions between the two ladies after Torrei accused Kevin of cheating on her with Eniko, she seems to be singing a different tune now.
Torrie Hart reflects on how she was able to co-parent with Kevin Hart’s current wife, Eniko. (Photos @torreihart/Instagram; Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Airbnb)
“I don’t let anything interfere with my kids’ happiness,” Torrei said on the “Love Is…” podcast on Feb. 20. “I’ve always been that parent that’s like my kids come first. Anything I’m dealing with, it doesn’t matter because I just want them to be happy.”
That mindset has guided her through the sometimes-rocky road of co-parenting with Kevin and Eniko.
After eight years of marriage, the Harts split amid Kevin’s infidelity, a situation that placed Torrei at a crossroads.
With pressure from her own family, including her mother, to stay in the marriage after he cheated, she ultimately chose herself — leaving and shifting her focus to creating a stable career on her own and a loving space for their children. That meant allowing them to have their own relationships with their stepmother and half-siblings despite the drama.
The results speak for themselves.
“My daughter is just so dope. She’s, in my opinion, perfect,” Torrei said, beaming with pride during the recent interview. “She graduated salutatorian, and she’s smart, she’s funny, she’s a good human being. And that was because I made a conscious decision to put anything aside.”
Torrei’s decision didn’t come without challenges. Kevin and Eniko’s relationship, which allegedly began before the “Soul Plane” actor and Torrei’s divorce was finalized, has long been a point of contention. The situation grew more complex when they married in 2016.
While Eniko, who has two younger children with Kevin, has publicly stated she wasn’t a homewrecker, Torrei has maintained otherwise. Their differences even spilled onto social media at times, intensifying public scrutiny.
Public perception also played a part in the beef between the women. It often cast a shadow over their dynamic, with many suggesting Eniko was Kevin’s “come-up” after marriage as his career skyrocketed after his divorce, which many attributed to his second wife.
So much so that even, Chris Rock fanned the flames during Netflix Is a Joke Fest in May 2024 when he said, “Ain’t nothing like that second wife happiness. They’re like, ‘We didn’t struggle at all!’”
At the time, Kevin’s older children were with him in the audience, and not all fans were fond of the joke that seemed to take aim at their mother.
But through it all, Torrei says that she never let her personal feelings dictate how her children viewed Eniko.
“I would never try to taint [Heaven] or make her not like someone,” she explained. “I know a lot of people, they’ll be like, ‘Well, I don’t want my child around this person.’ But if this person is around your ex significant other with your child, it only makes sense for you to not try to taint that situation, because in the long run it’ll just backfire on you anyway.”
Even with her commitment to co-parenting peacefully, Torrei has set boundaries. She eventually had to tell Kevin to stop using their past relationship as material for his stand-up routines, a move she felt was necessary to protect her image.
“I once had to tell him to stop using me as material,” she shared on “The Culture Club” podcast with Osei the Dark Secret and guest host Claudia Jordan in 2022. The constant jokes contributed to public narratives that painted Torrei as bitter, something she refused to accept.
Interestingly enough, when Heaven entered college in 2024, she made the same request of her famous father to also keep her out of his comedy routines.
Despite everything, Torrei remains devoted to both of her children.
“My son is good. He’s doing great. He’s my golden boy,” she said with the same warmth she expressed for her daughter.
“It was all about them,” she said of her co-parenting journey.
Now that Heaven and Hendrix are older, it’s clear that Torrei’s commitment to keeping them first has paid off.
Kevin and Eniko often vacation with all the children, a testament to the peaceful dynamic she worked to create. “As long as they’re good, that’s all that matters. My babies — those are my hearts.”
They all recently traveled to the comedian’s hometown in Philadelphia to watch the Eagles defeat the Kansas City Chiefs during Super Bowl LIX.
Torrei’s story is a testament to the power of putting children first, even when personal emotions tend to get in the way. Her approach offers a blueprint for any parent navigating co-parenting with a new spouse in the mix — leading with love, grace, and a whole lot of maturity.
