Why We're Worried About Tiffany Haddish
Tiffany Haddish rose to fame after her starring role in the 2017 comedy "Girls Trip" and has made us laugh ever since. Her impressive and versatile talent as an actor and comedian has continued to earn praise, with her winning an Emmy in 2018 for hosting "Saturday Night Live." However, it was a long journey before the star got to where she is today. She first took an interest in comedy during her childhood after completing summer camp at the Laugh Factory, which inspired her to pursue stand-up after graduating high school. That led to her appearing on television comedy competition shows and reality programs like "Who's Got Jokes?" and "Reality Bites Back" to hone her talent before she made her break on the big screen.
But while her comedic resume speaks for herself, Haddish hasn't had any of her success handed to her. She's among many other celebrities with layered and complicated backstories, from less-than-perfect childhoods to struggling to make a way in the industry. While the "Like A Boss" actor is known for turning lemons into lemonade by making light of the many challenges she's overcome, her rags-to-riches story is no punch line. We're breaking down all the reasons why we're worried about Tiffany Haddish.
She grew up in foster care
Tiffany Haddish's childhood was far from perfect. The "Night School" actor was placed in foster care when she was just a child after her mother suffered a severe brain injury from a car accident that left her unable to care for her and her half-siblings. According to Fox 11, Haddish shuffled between three different foster care homes and two other group homes before moving in with her grandmother under a kinship foster care program. Reflecting on that experience to People, the actor said that there was a period where she felt hopeless and didn't see a light at the end of the tunnel. "I remember being that foster kid and being like, 'Man, I'm probably going to be in jail in two years,'" she said.
But, thanks to the help of her former social workers, Haddish ended up staying out of trouble by joining the Laugh Factor Comedy Camp, an outlet she chose instead of being forced into psychiatric therapy. Haddish credits the summer camp with changing her life's trajectory for the better. "When I was in foster care, I mean, I thought I was going to die there. I didn't think I would make it to 18, " Haddish revealed at the Variety Changemakers Summit. "And when I made it to 18, I was like, 'OK, I got to really think bigger.'"
The actor now finds happiness in giving back, and she created the She Ready Foundation to help other children living in foster care. The non-profit organization is responsible for placing foster care children in internships to give them the tools they need to succeed. She's also since returned to her former summer camp as a mentor.
Tiffany Haddish spent many nights sleeping in her car
Before Tiffany Haddish was a household name, she was a struggling artist. In an interview with Elliot Connie, she admitted that she spent days living out of her car near The Laugh Factory while trying to chase her dreams. Nowadays, Haddish reflects on those days as a growing experience.
"I feel like you can't depend on anybody or really trust anybody but yourself," she admitted to the interviewer. "...If you believe that you can do something... like even if you kind of just [have] a morsel of belief — just a little — like they say a mustard seed, a little bit a speck [of] belief in yourself then it's possible." Haddish's morsel of belief continued to give her opportunities, ones that she says arrived because she believed in herself more than anyone else could.
Old habits die hard for Haddish, however, who admitted she still finds comfort in sleeping in her car. "I will sleep in the car for an hour, maybe two," she told Men's Journal in 2019. "Sometimes I'll sleep in the car until the sun comes up, or I get really cold. And I'm always like, "Tiffany, stop doing that!" But it's the best sleep for me. That's from being homeless in my car, I guess."
Tiffany Haddish was involved in a sexual abuse lawsuit
It's not all fun and games for Tiffany Haddish. According to Forbes, the actor was hit with a lawsuit in 2022 after Jane Doe filed charges of sexual abuse against her. The lawsuit claimed that Haddish performed in a comedy skit that allegedly forced a then 7-year-old child to perform acts of a sexual nature. The skit in question was filmed in 2014, and titled "Through a Pedophile's Eyes." Fellow comedian Aries Spears, who appeared with Haddish in the video, was also named in the lawsuit.
In the end, the "Keanu" actor took responsibility for her role in the skit, writing in a since-removed Instagram post (via Rolling Stone) that read, "...Clearly, while this sketch was intended to be comedic, it wasn't funny at all – and I deeply regret having agreed to act in it. I really look forward to being able to share a lot more about this situation as soon as I can."
Per Daily Beast, the skit was originally uploaded to the FunnyorDie site and shows Jane Doe wearing their underwear as Spears plays the role of a pedophile and massages his back. The lawsuit was later dismissed, and Jane Doe released a statement per TMZ saying, "My family and I have known Tiffany Haddish for many years – and we now know that she would never harm me or my brother or help anyone else do anything that could harm us. We wish Tiffany the best and are glad that we can all put this behind us."
She couldn't find work after being involved in a lawsuit
It wasn't an easy road for Tiffany Haddish following her naming in a child sex abuse lawsuit. The actor admitted she had to start from zero after the debacle, which cost her numerous jobs and her reputation. "I lost everything," she told TMZ in 2022. "All my gigs, gone. Everything, gone. I don't have no job. I don't have no job, bro." Despite missing out on potential comedic roles, Haddish admitted to the outlet that she was less concerned about herself and more about her former accusers. "[I was] really concerned about the kids, making sure they were OK," she said.
Haddish also revealed to TMZ that she isn't on speaking terms with Aries Spears, who was named alongside her in the lawsuit. Despite the drama, Haddish appeared to be in good spirits after the case was dropped, admitting, "I'm pretty sure ain't nobody else going to be coming after me anytime soon," adding, "And if there is somebody else, that s— fake."
The actor did eventually get her groove back, though. She later starred alongside Lakeith Stanfield and Jared Leto in the 2023 film "Haunted Mansion," a supernatural horror comedy about a single mother who unknowingly buys a mansion cursed with ghosts.
Tiffany Haddish said her breakup with Common wasn't mutual
Tiffany Haddish and rapper Common started dating in August 2020 after meeting on the set of the film "The Kitchen." The "Haunted Mansion" star opened up about their relationship on an episode of the "Steve-O's Wild Ride" podcast, admitting that they started as friends before their relationship grew into something deeper. At the time, Haddish gushed about Common, admitting she even lost 20 pounds after they started dating. "I'm just way happier and it's like knowing I got somebody that cares about me, that really has my back. It seems like he does anyways. And I love it. I love him," she revealed.
Unfortunately, the two split up nearly a year later, and they weren't exactly on the same page about the breakup. In an interview with the Washington Post, Haddish admitted her relationship with Common was "the healthiest, the funnest relationship I've ever had," and it left her questioning things when it ended. "It wasn't mutual," she revealed. "It was more him saying, 'I think this relationship has run its course.' And I was like, 'Okay. Like you gonna be a 50-year-old single man. Okay?'"
Common didn't respond to Haddish's comments, but he did relay a different version of the story to Hollywood Unlocked, blaming distance and the Coronavirus pandemic on their decision to part ways. "I don't think the love really dispersed. I just think it was just like, we weren't feeding a relationship." He went on to add, "It was a mutual thing. We came to an understanding that this is what's going to be best."
Tiffany Haddish suffered eight miscarriages
Tiffany Haddish revealed some heartbreaking news about her attempts to get pregnant in the past. The "Girls Trip" star told the Washington Post she has suffered eight miscarriages due to a uterus abnormality. Haddish was diagnosed with a bicornate uterus, which is an irregularly formed uterus that occurs due to the fusion of Mullerian ducts, according to the National Library of Medicine. The rare condition often leads to pregnancy complications and a greater chance of miscarriages.
"I've got a uterus shaped like a heart," Haddish explained in simpler terms. "It just won't keep anything in." Haddish has kept her condition private for years because she doesn't want people to treat her any differently. "I don't want people saying: 'Are you okay? Are you all right?'" she told the publication. "Like a wounded animal, I just rather go in a cave by myself. Lick my wounds."
Haddish also told the Washington Post that she is potentially considering adoption one day, albeit, when her work life settles down a bit. "...I want to finish up a few more things, so that I can really focus," Haddish previously told Us Weekly. "...I want to be present. I want to be all the way present. I don't want somebody else doing that work."
She was arrested for a DUI
Tiffany Haddish was arrested on a DUI suspicion and was cracking jokes about it just hours later. As per TMZ, the "Kitchen" star was brought into a police station in handcuffs after officers found her allegedly falling asleep at the wheel in Beverly Hills. The star was released hours later, just in time for her to take the stage at The Laugh Factory in Long Beach where she made light of the matter.
"What happened last night?" Haddish asked during her set sarcastically. "You tell me. I don't know." She went on to add that she had "Prayed to God to send me a man with a job, preferably in a uniform...and God answered my prayers." Haddish secured a ride after her set, as paparazzi photos by TMZ show the star in the backseat of an SUV upon leaving the venue.
Haddish's 2023 DUI isn't the only time the star has been arrested. As published by TMZ, in 2022, the Emmy winner was charged with a DUI in Georgia after improperly stopping on a roadway. Officers found her asleep at the wheel. Police also noted at the time that they believed the "Haunted Mansion" star had been smoking marijuana. The Grammy award winner posted bond a few hours later and was released, but not before her smiling mug shot was aired to the rest of the world. She later joked about the incriminating photo while guest hosting on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, saying, "...I'm going to go ahead and turn that into an NFT."
Beyoncé stepped in after Tiffany Haddish almost got into a fight
Miss Queen B came in to save the day when Tiffany Haddish lost her temper (Yes, we mean that Beyoncé.) According to TV One's "Uncensored" (per CapitalXtra), a mystery woman was allegedly getting a little too close to comfort next to rapper Jay-Z at an after-party for his Los Angeles tour stop in 2018. Haddish witnessed it all, recalling, "She touched Jay-Z's chest and Beyoncé came walking up like 'B***h!'" later clarifying, "She didn't say that. But her demeanor, her body from the way she walked up on her was like, 'Get your hands off my man's chest.'"
The "Keanu" actor attempted to take up for the "Lemonade" singer but says Beyoncé deescalated the situation. "I'm not at liberty to say what had went down at the party, but Beyoncé was just telling me to have a good time," Haddish told Vulture, adding, "And I was like, 'No, I'm gonna end up fighting this b*tch!' She was like, 'No, have fun, Tiffany,' and I said, 'I'm only going to have fun if you take a selfie with me.'"
Haddish secured the infamous selfie and even got a little advice from the singer that her wig had shifted. Because who better to get advice from than Sasha Fierce herself? "She came up to me and was like, 'I think you are so funny, Tiffany Haddish.' I was like, 'What? You know me?!' She said, 'I'm Beyoncé.' 'I KNOW!' Haddish admitted.
Tiffany Haddish experienced sexism and racism during auditions
Tiffany Haddish hasn't had an easy road to becoming one of Hollywood's sought-after comedians. Like many performers, the actor dealt with years of rejections before getting her breakout film role in "Girls Trip" in her late 30s.
The "Saturday Night Live" star admitted in an interview with Hollywood Reporter that she came up with her own way of getting ahead of the feedback. Rather than wonder about why she was receiving so many rejections, the star said that she decided to get creative."I'd put my phone on voice memo and put it in my bag, I'd do the audition, walk out, and leave my bag," Haddish revealed. "Then I'd come back and be like, 'Oh, I forgot my purse in here.'"
The "Haunted Mansion" actor used the trick to become privy to all the things casting agents would say about her, and it wasn't always nice. "They'd be like, 'She's not as urban as I thought she'd be.' Or, 'She's so ghetto, I just can't. Her boobs aren't big enough. I really think we should just go with a white girl.'" Haddish's undercover technique earned her some praise from fans, despite some of them wondering whether or not it was legal to record a conversation in California unless both parties were aware (short answer, it's not).
In any case, fans are on Haddish's side. "She's brilliant," one fan commented on the clip. "To all the folks saying its illegal to record people's conversation... NO ONE CARES. Like literally no one. Maybe those people Tiff recorded should stop racial profiling people," another wrote.
Haddish called attention to racism in the industry during an Oscars 2018 bit with Maya Rudolph.