Actor Blair Underwood fans still suspect the actor and his new wife Josie Hart’s tale of being lifelong friends before falling in love is just that — a story. The debonair leading man introduced his new leading lady to the world in 2022 when he announced their engagement.
“When a 41 year friendship slaps you in the back of the head & blossoms into romance, you stand up, pay attention & step forward in gratitude. Gently forward. It begins!” He wrote in an Instagram post blasting his love for all to see.
News of impending nuptials came as a shock to his supporters, as many had no idea that his marriage to first wife Desiree Underwood had run its course a year prior.
In 2021, Desiree filed for divorce after 27 years together. The parents of three adult children issued a joint statement saying they had decided it was in their family’s best interest to “work on ourselves individually & collectively.”
They also shared that, “We will continue to be the best of friends and co-parents and have the utmost respect for one another.”
But doubters question if respect even crossed Blair’s mind when he and Hart went public with their relationship. The couple wed last June with a grand ceremony in the Dominican Republic. With their one-year anniversary in the books, outrage over their union again cropped up.
On Facebook, a skeptic suggested, “Him & best friend probably were sneaking around.” Several others share that same theory of the decades-old friendship being platonic during her marriage.
Blog King Alert: You can stick a fork in Blair Underwood’s marriage because it’s done. The 56-year-old thespian and his wife, Desiree DaCosta, are calling it quits after 27 years of holy matrimony. They share three adult children. For the scoop, visit: https://t.co/cz7iiJFwZz pic.twitter.com/3SwhzK0O4J
— Mass Appeal News (@Blog_King4Ever) June 1, 2021
“Looking at the picture of him and the new wife you can tell she has been wanting that spot,” wrote another, observing how happy Hart appears beside Blair in photos. A third person said that it was likely she had been coveting Desiree’s position in the actor’s life the whole time. “That’s crazy she’s been wanting his wife’s place from the beginning,” read the comment.
While even more people speculate that vows were broken and boundaries crossed, neither Blair nor Desiree have provided commentary, whether explicit or implicit, about adultery contributing to the end of their union. A fan half-jokingly considered that he had taken a page out of Tia Mowry’s book when they wrote, “maybe he graduates from his marriage.”
Mowry likened her decision to divorce her husband of 14 years, actor Cory Hardrict, to a graduation, noting that it has been a success but that she ultimately evolved beyond its parameters. She and Hardrict both remain just as vague about the end of that chapter of their lives two years later.
Several other Facebook users found it uncanny that Blair chose a new partner who bears some resemblance to the mother of his children. “He definitely has a type. I can hardly tell the two women apart,” said one person.
Although, through all the speculation, there were a few individuals who would rather allow the “Set It Off” star to live his life on his own terms. In defense of Blair, one comment read, “So what? He’s been divorced for three years. Let the man live. There are more pressing issues that we should be concerned with.”
The newlywed Underwoods are seemingly blocking out the naysayers as they celebrate their love with a trip to Vietnam. Blair shared posts of their experiences riding on water buffaloes and in basket boats. Their marriage is a second for both parties. Hart is also a mother to children from her past relationship.
