The Neighborhood actress Tichina Arnold briefly dated Brian Austin Green during their early years in Hollywood — something the Beverly Hills, 90210 alum just revealed.
“We liked each other, but he pursued me,” Arnold said on the “Funny Knowing You” podcast in December 2025. “He actually took me on a date [where] we did the red carpet. … And this is in the height of Martin too! I was, like, ‘What?’ But he was good-looking and stuff.”
According to Arnold, she was especially attracted to Green’s musical talents.
“He was very musically inclined. His dad is a jazz musician and stuff, so there was a lot of commonality there,” she recalled, referring to her own passion for singing. “He was, like, the only actor and white guy that I ever dated. I gave it a shot.”
While Arnold and Green eventually went their separate ways, they remained friends.
Keep scrolling to learn more about Arnold:
What Is Tichina Arnold Known for?
Arnold notably starred on Martin, Everybody Hates Chris, Little Shop of Horrors, Survivor’s Remorse and more. She has also played Tina Butler on CBS’ The Neighborhood since 2018.
Is Tichina Arnold Married?
Arnold has been married twice. She first married Lamon Brewster in 1991 before they split in 1995. The actress was later married to DaRico Hines from 2012 to 2016.
Does Tichina Arnold Have Kids?
Arnold welcomed her daughter, Alijah Kai, in 2004, with ex Calvin Higgins.
“I do regret not being a little more present for my daughter,” she said on the “Funny Knowing You” podcast in 2025, reflecting on raising Alijah as a single parent. “I had a lot of help raising her, but I should have been there. There’s a few things that I missed, and I do regret that because, now that she’s older, I’m seeing it — and she told me.”
Tichina Arnold and Brian Austin Green Once Secretly Dated
Brian Austin Green. Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images for Hollywood Christmas Parade
Green revealed in January 2026 that they dated back when they were in their early 20s.
“She was very clear on day one of, like, ‘Nobody can know about this,’” Green recalled on the “Funny Knowing You” podcast. “Can’t tell people, can’t talk about this.’ I have someone who I’m attracted to who’s telling me like, ‘You can’t tell anybody.’ I think for me, it really triggered something like, ‘Oh, OK. I’m not good enough for any of this. You don’t even want your friends to know that you’re hanging out with me.’”
According to Green, Arnold eventually had a change of heart.
“At some point it flipped a little bit and all of a sudden she was like, cool with it. But I think somewhere in my mind, like, I had that subconscious switch of like, ‘Oh, I’m not this isn’t a real relationship. This is just a thing that we’re doing,’” the Beverly Hills, 90210 alum recalled. “Now maybe her view of it has changed a little bit, but it didn’t even start in a healthy way.”
While Green and Arnold’s romance ultimately fizzled out, they were able to remain friendly.
“That’s my girl. I will always have her back,” he stressed. “She has always had my back.”
Why Did Tichina Arnold and Brian Austin Break Up?
During her appearance on the “Funny Knowing You” podcast, Arnold revealed the reason she and Green called it quits.
“I told him. I said, ‘The reason why we’ve come to the end of our road is because 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. You’re going to share your riches and your legacy with someone white. And so I’m getting off this train,’” Arnold told podcast host Deon Cole. “I told you I’m very good with endings [and Brian is] a really nice guy.”
According to Arnold, she had a “great experience” with Green but is more attracted to Black men.
“I’m just attracted to Black men, like, that’s my natural,” she said. “It comes down to everything, just the pheromones, the smell, and everything.”
Green, for his part, later dated Vanessa Marcil, with whom he shares son Kassius, before marrying Megan Fox in 2004. Green and Fox went on to welcome three children before they divorced in 2020. Green is now engaged to former Dancing With the Stars pro Sharna Burgess, with whom he shares son Zane.
