Tiffany Haddish On Life Before Fame: "Homeless, Hungry, Scared, & Hurt"

BY Erika Marie 5.8K Views
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Tiffany Haddish
The actress hopes that sharing her story will inspire others.

The rise to stardom isn't always an easy road. Some celebrities come from families whose legacies impart them with automatic lives in the limelight while others scrimp, scrape, and climb their way to the top. Comedian Tiffany Haddish is one of the latter, as she was placed in foster care at a young age after her step-father tampered with her mother's vehicle, causing an accident that resulted in severe brain damage for her mother. 

Before she was a teen, the Night School star and her siblings were separated and placed in foster care. She used jokes as a way to deal with her circumstances, and as a teenager, under the advisement of her instructors, she began to study acting and stand-up comedy. The process was difficult, and in a self-reflective post on Instagram earlier today, Haddish recounts being homeless and hungry at one ping in her career.

The Girlfriends actress shared a photo of herself performing stand-up with a caption that reads, "I look at this picture and want to cry tears of joy for this Girl. I remember that night. She was homeless, hungry, scared, and hurt. I promised her if she kept faith in God and Herself, We will get to a place where we will be Housed, Over Fed, Less Hurt and Fear Free."

"I am so Grateful that she Believe," she continued. "I am so Happy we have come this far and excited about where we will Go. Tiffany Sara Cornilia Haddish I Love and Approve of you and most of all God does too. You are perfect enough for both of us right now and always."

About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.

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