By Mariel Turner
5:30am PDT, Jun 13, 2018
Tiffany Haddish is hosting the 2018 MTV Movie & TV Awards! In celebration of her big gig, Wonderwall.com is running down all the reasons we're obsessed with the comedy star, starting with her perseverance. The 38 year old began her career in 2005 with guest spots on "Bill Bellamy's Who's Got Jokes?," "Chelsea Lately" and "That's So Raven" but was, at one point, living out of her car. It wasn't until 2015 — 10 years later — that she got her big break on NBC's "The Carmichael Show." Though Tiffany wouldn't become a household name until 2017, when she starred in "Girls Trip," she never let rejection, homelessness or delayed success stop her dream. Keep reading to see all the other reasons we love Tiffany!
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2. She's hilarious
One of the most obvious reasons to love Tiffany Haddish is that she is laugh-out-loud, bring-tears-to-your-eyes funny! The comedian's performance in "Girls Trip" had fans and critics dying of laughter, and she received rave reviews for her hilarious Showtime stand-up special "Tiffany Haddish: She Ready! From the Hood to Hollywood." "I learned from Roger Rabbit that if you make people laugh, they'll do anything for you — which is almost true," Tiffany told Rolling Stone in 2017.
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3. She still freaks out when meeting A-listers
Tiffany Haddish might be Hollywood's hottest breakout star in years, but she still has total fan-girl moments. The comedian stopped an interview mid-sentence when she saw Meryl Streep walking the red carpet at the 2018 Academy Awards. She quickly gathered up her gown and hopped over a velvet rope to meet the icon and gave Meryl a hug before sending her off with a curtsy! "[Meryl] smells like success," Tiffany said after returning to her interview with Guillermo of "Jimmy Kimmel Live."
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4. She's proud of her heritage
Speaking of the 2018 Oscars, Tiffany Haddish chose to wear a traditional Eritrean zuria dress to the ceremony with a kaba cape in honor of her late father, an Eritrean refugee. "He said one day I would end up here, and if I ever end up at the Oscars, to honor my people," Tiffany explained during ABC's Academy Awards preshow.
5. She knows how to laugh at herself
Tiffany Haddish might crack jokes about others, but she has no problem laughing at herself. In fact, the star explained in her memoir, "The Last Black Unicorn," knowing yourself and finding humor within is the only way to make others laugh. "In stand-up, you do need to be having fun up there like Richard Pryor said, but you have to know yourself well too… 'cause really with comedy, you're, like, fiddling with people's souls. You resonate on the same frequency as them, trying to greet them to relate," she wrote. "To do that, you gotta put yourself out there. And in order to put yourself out there, you've gotta have an idea who you are."
6. She repeats outfits
Tiffany Haddish wore the same $4,000 white gown on three separate occasions — a rarity in Hollywood! She rocked this stunning white Alexander McQueen dress to the premiere of "Girls Trip," while hosting "Saturday Night Live," and while presenting with Maya Rudolph during the 2018 Oscars ceremony. "I don't give a dang about no taboo. I spent a lot of money on this dress. This dress cost way more than my mortgage. This a Alexander McQueen, okay?" she joked during her "SNL" monologue. We definitely understand, Tiffany!
7. She's overcome major obstacles
Tiffany Haddish had to overcome a difficult childhood in South Central Los Angeles. Her late father, Tsihaye Reda Haddish, left the family when Tiffany was only 3 years old. Her mother, Leola, suffered severe brain damage from a car accident caused by her step-father when Tiffany was only 9. The star became the primary caretaker of her siblings and was placed in foster care by the time she was 12. When Tiffany was 17, her social worker gave her a choice after years of troublemaking in school: go to psychiatric therapy or to the Laugh Factory Comedy Camp. Tiffany chose comedy and the rest, as they say, is history.
8. She's down-to-earth
Tiffany Haddish is bringing in the big bucks today, but she hasn't forgotten her roots. The actress still lives in South Central Los Angeles even though she can afford to move to a fancier zip code. She joked on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" that she's "able to make the payments on time now."
9. She's forged lasting friendships with big-name stars
Tiffany Haddish was the new kid on the block while filming "Girls Trip," but that didn't stop her from forming a friendship with co-star Jada Pinkett Smith and Jada's hubby, Will Smith. Tiffany took the A-list stars on an infamous Groupon swamp tour and their bond only grew closer from there. Jada stood up for her friend after Tiffany was snubbed for a Golden Globe nomination for her work in the 2017 flick. "Girls Trip was one of the most successful films this summer & Tiff was hands down the funniest person on screen in 2017 and we couldn't get eyes on the film or a press conference," Jada tweeted. Tiffany responded with thanks and love for Jada on Twitter. "Thank all of y'all for your love and support, I don't know or care much about snubs because I'm not nasty like that!! But I love my girl Jada and I love all of you! @jadapsmith @VanityFair #SHEREADY," she wrote.
10. She's frugal
Tiffany Haddish isn't concerned with spending her money on extravagant things. The star only recently started carrying designer bags, explaining to W Magazine that she doesn't "want a bag that is more expensive than the cash I have to put in it." "If things start to go wrong, I'm going right back to my knockoffs," she said. "When you're somebody like me who's been homeless, clothes are not that important. Clothes are not a roof over my head, food in my stomach, my family's health — that's what money is for. But fashion helps get more money, so we ride."
11. She wants to give back
Tiffany Haddish is determined to help others who might be struggling after experiencing a difficult upbringing. "That's one of the missions. Eventually, I would like to be able to buy two streets that intersect. Maybe one that ends on a cul-de-sac and call it Tiffany and Haddish, and I want to build a youth center, and I want to build a mental health center, and a job placement center, and maybe, like, a transitional housing building, all on that street," Tiffany told Vanity Fair in 2018.
12. She hangs with Beyonce
As if we needed any more reasons to love her, Tiffany Haddish has spent quality time with the one and only Queen Bey! The starlet was invited by the Carters to an afterparty in December 2018 where she partied with Beyonce and snapped a quick selfie. Tiffany later shared in an interview with GQ that the iconic singer not only knew who she was but also stopped her from fighting after an anonymous actress assailant bit Bey!
13. She's a sexual assault survivor and advocate
When Tiffany Haddish was young, she was sexually assaulted by her aunt's friend. The man was supposed to take her home after a school dance but instead took her to his apartment where he assaulted her, the actress revealed on the podcast "The Champs." "It was the worst feeling in the world," Tiffany shared. Today, the star is speaking out about her experience and her battle against sexual harassment in comedy in hopes of helping others.
14. She's single and fabulous
After going through an unhappy marriage and divorce, Tiffany Haddish is now single and loving life. The actress told People that she's too preoccupied with work right now to date but is willing to slow down for the right guy. "I don't really have time for dating," Tiffany said. "I would like to, eventually, definitely by summertime I would like to be dating somebody. I want somebody to give me butterflies. I'll adjust my schedule for butterflies."
15. She's family-oriented
Tiffany Haddish battled a tough childhood but she doesn't fault her mom, Leola, for the hardships she endured. Leola was in a mental institution for years after being diagnosed with schizophrenia, and the actress made it her mission to get her mom out. In March 2018, Tiffany was finally able to get her mom the help she needed after consulting her industry contacts. "I'm mostly taking care of my family right now," she told GQ magazine. "I just got my mom out the mental institution. Once you start making it in the business, you start meeting all kinds of people that [have mental problems] and they link you up with the best psychiatrists."
