After years away from the spotlight, Maia Campbell is officially back—and she’s got big plans to reclaim her career and honor her late mother’s legacy in the process.
The beloved actress, best known for her breakout roles in classic ‘90s shows like In The House, Sister, Sister, South Central, and Seventeen Again, returned to social media on Sunday, April 13, with a heartfelt video update that’s already creating waves online. In it, Campbell assured her fans that she’s in a good place mentally and emotionally—and she’s ready for a comeback.
“Everybody keeps asking me, ‘what do I wanna do with my career?’” she said in the clip. “And honestly, I can say that I really wanna get in touch with Tyler Perry and have him produce my mother [Bebe Moore Campbell]’s book, 72 Hour Hold. It was a monumental book for me. It was a New York Times bestseller and July is Mental Health Awareness Month. So, I’m still on that campaign. Keep me up in prayer. Thank you for praying for me and I’m gonna do my best to make you guys happy.”
The request is deeply personal. Maia’s mother, Bebe Moore Campbell, was a celebrated journalist and author who used her platform to speak candidly about the challenges of mental illness in the Black community. Her 2005 novel 72 Hour Hold tells the story of a mother trying to help her teenage daughter navigate a mental health crisis, and the deeply flawed system meant to provide care. Though many speculated the book mirrored Maia’s real-life struggles, Bebe denied that it was directly autobiographical.
“I have a mentally ill family member. I’ve been on the journey with my own loved one for eight or nine years,” she told CBS News in a 2005 interview. “I felt very stigmatized, very shut down, very ashamed. Then my journey has been one of reaching out for support, for friends.”
Before Bebe’s passing in 2006, she became a vocal advocate for mental health awareness, particularly through her work with the Los Angeles chapter of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill. Her advocacy opened doors for more open conversations around mental illness in Black families—conversations Maia is now continuing.
Diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1998, Maia Campbell’s struggles played out publicly in the early 2000s, with viral videos and tabloid stories painting a painful picture of her decline. After giving birth to her daughter in 2000, Campbell reportedly stopped taking her medication and battled substance abuse, eventually losing custody. But in recent years, signs of healing and reconnection with her daughter have emerged, and fans are rooting hard for her renewed journey.
Maia’s public request to Tyler Perry isn’t just a pitch for a career reboot—it’s a passionate plea to bring an important mental health narrative to the screen, while honoring a woman whose work inspired thousands.
As July’s Mental Health Awareness Month approaches, Campbell’s timing couldn’t be more powerful. With fans rallying behind her and new momentum building, the 72 Hour Hold adaptation may finally find the home—and the voice—it deserves.
Stay tuned. Maia’s comeback might just be the most inspiring story yet.