Tiffany Haddish revealed during a keynote conversation at the Variety Changemakers Summit that life wasn’t always glamorous for the comedian. The actress was in the foster care system where she thought she would die before 18 or get locked up.
“When I was in foster care, I mean, I thought I was going to die there,” Haddish said. “I didn’t think I would make it to 18. And when I made it to 18, I was like, ‘Ok, I got to really think bigger.’ And I did think bigger, and I’m definitely where I thought I would be. Well, it’s bigger than what I thought, but I feel the way that I was hoping I would feel and that’s secure in my ability to provide for me.”
In an interview with People, she recalled thinking that if she survived foster care, she would end up in jail.
“I remember being that foster kid and being like, ‘Man, I’m probably going to be in jail in two years.'”
While she is alive, the Nobody’s Fool star did get arrested on Jan. 14 for driving under the influence in Georgia. According to a Sis2Sis report, Peachtree City police received a call around 2:30 a.m. about a driver asleep behind the wheel on Highway 74.
Haddish was placed in the foster care system because her mom was dealing with a mental illness after being in a car accident where her head broke through the windshield. At just 10 years old, Haddish stepped into the role of mother and took care of her younger siblings two years before they were divided into different foster homes.
Her behavior issues are what pointed her towards the path to her current successful career. After her social worker gave her an ultimatum: psyciatric therapy or the Laugh Facotry Comedy Camp, leading Haddish to choose the latter option.
