Tiffany Haddish—perhaps more known for her empowering catchphrase ‘She ready!’—is a hilarious African-American stand-up comedian and actress. Haddish came from harsh and humble beginnings that show us just how strong of a woman she is.
Curious? Today, we’re profoundly diving into how Tiffany built herself up from nothing. Read on to learn the story behind Haddish’s impressive net worth of $6 million!
Tiffany Haddish In a Glance
First things first, here’s a quick look at some Haddish facts:
| Full Name | Tiffany Sara Cornilia Haddish |
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (168 cm) |
| Date of Birth | 3rd of December, 1979 |
| Place of Birth | Los Angeles, California |
| Zodiac | Sagittarius |
| Age (as of 2024) | 44 |
| Nationality | American and Eritrean |
| Parents | Tsihaye Reda and Leola Haddish |
| Siblings | Tuesday and Jasmine English (half-sisters), Justin English (half-brother) |
| Profession(s) | Stand-up comedian, comedy actress, and writer/author |
| Net Worth | $6 million |
What Was Growing Up Like for Tiffany Haddish?
Tiffany Haddish had quite an unlucky childhood growing up. For starters, her biological father left home when she was only three years old. For some time, her mother was a single parent struggling to make ends meet for her and Tiffany.
Soon after, her mother remarried a mean piece of work. Not much is known about Haddish’s stepfather because—according to the comedy star—he wasn’t that great a man. Understandably, Haddish doesn’t want the media or public to contact or know much about him.
What little Haddish has decided to share with us says enough. In an interview with the New York Times, Tiffany spoke of a traumatic experience her stepdad put her and her mother through. She mentioned how he threatened he’d kill the whole family in a car crash.
By the whole family, we also mean Tiffany’s mother’s half-siblings with the same stepdad. Haddish shares two sisters and brothers with the same mother—one of whom (namely Jasmine English) went on to be a reality star on the show Claim to Fame before getting voted off.
What Happened to Tiffany Haddish’s Mother?
When she was only 8, Tiffany’s mother got in a horrible car accident and was never the same after. Leola, Haddish’s mother, underwent a 180° personality change, becoming a husk of her previous self. Instead of the loving, supporting woman Tiffany grew up with, she became emotionally and physically abusive towards her kids.
In her autobiography, The Last Black Unicorn, Tiffany wrote: “After the accident, oh my God, she would say the worst things to me […] She couldn’t get all her words out, so she’d just punch me. Just full-on. Because of her, I can take a punch like nobody’s business.”
Naturally, Tiffany and her siblings didn’t know what was happening with their mother then. Later on, when Leola got into an intense altercation with her neighbor, she was diagnosed with schizophrenia. As such, she was moved to a mental facility, and her kids were put in the system.
What Happened to Tiffany Haddish in Foster Care?
Due to Leola’s incapacitation after the accident, Tiffany became a full-blown mother figure for her siblings at the tender age of 10. That responsibility would continue to eat at her after she was separated from her half-siblings.
In an interview with the People, Haddish spoke about how her social workers had to stop telling the star where her half-sisters and brothers were because she kept running away to check on them. In her own words, she explained:
“The social workers had to stop telling me where they were because I would just get on a bus and go to them. I felt responsible for them.”
There was a silver lining to being in foster care, though – one which Haddish, later on, would speak on in her first comedy special with Laugh Society titled She Ready. In the show, she jokes and talks about how being with different families helped her pick up many valuable skills. Watch it here!
Fortunately, Haddish and her siblings didn’t last in the system for long. When the star was 15, her grandmother took them in. Under her care, Haddish learned a lot, like how to forgive her stepfather for what he did and stop seeking revenge on him. In the same Times interview mentioned above, she noted:
“His life was going great when I was trying to get revenge. As soon as I stopped doing that, life started kicking him in the a—.”
How Comedy Saved Tiffany Haddish?
Comedy was the anchor that kept Haddish going through the tough times she faced growing up. When that horrible accident happened to her mother, Tiffany said that she’d crack a few jokes to put her mom in a better mood. When Haddish was bullied at the group home for her looks and her broken home, the little star would make them laugh, hoping they’d stop hitting her.
Tiffany wrote in her autobiography the following:
“My comedy skills came in handy. If I made these girls laugh, I thought they wouldn’t beat me up. But bully girl said, ‘Ahh b—-, we still going to beat your a— . . . but you funny.’”
Haddish even told Letterman on his show in 2019 that “[her] talent helped her survive.” Despite being “hungry, homeless and hurt,” Tiffany stuck with her stand-up comedy from a young age, starting in 1997. Her stint with the Laugh Factory Comedy Camp made legendary comedian Richard Pryor offer Haddish a mentorship.
The rising star stuck with comedy even when her educational life wasn’t great. When she was living with her grandmother, she faced trouble reading and sticking to her school’s rules. It was her social worker at the time who would tell her to attend a comedy camp instead of therapy to help her deal with her trauma better rather than continue to act out.
Later, Haddish would put herself through college, too. She went to Santa Monica College in her 20s. There, she worked hard, juggling her comedy career, college life, and endless work shifts to make some money.
At the time, Haddish lived out of her car and continued to do so for many years. Yet another struggle she mentions on her unique She Ready—watch her talk more about it and how Kevin Hart, a fellow comedic sensation, helped her back then.
Tiffany Haddish: Career Highlights & How Much She Makes
Despite being a hilarious and charismatic person—at least in our opinion, Haddish doesn’t make as much as her comedy peers in the industry. Whether that’s due to the Hollywood pay gap or because Tiffany doesn’t negotiate well. Please look at her career highlights and how much she made from each, and then decide for yourself.
Early Start
Initially, Haddish was booked for minor roles in various TV shows. She was paid as little as $750 in some of these and often less. Those shows included:
- That’s So Raven
- My Name Is Earl
- It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
- New Girl
- In the Motherhood
The first stable role Haddish got was later on in 2013. She was cast in a recurring role in Real Husbands of Hollywood. The following year, Oprah Winfrey took a shine to her and cast her in her drama network series If Loving You Is Wrong. Tiffany only stayed on for a season before moving on to a much more stable role in the NBC sitcom The Carmichael Show for three seasons.
She’d later reveal that her appearance on the show granted her no more than $500 a month.
Career Peak
Tiffany’s peak came during the years 2016 and 2017. In the former year, she starred in the comedy movie Keanu, opposite incredible stars like Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key. Sadly, she never made a single cent from her first movie. That’s because it was a non-union film, and she could do nothing about it.
Never heartbroken, Tiffany became one of the main stars in the hit comedy Girl’s Trip. She co-starred with legends, namely Queen Latifah and Regina Hall. She claimed to have made around $80,000 from that movie despite it making $141 million in revenue.
Following her success the same year, Haddish was asked to host Saturday Night Live, where she made history as the first African-American female comedian to host SNL. Recent movies include Night School with Kevin Hart and Nobody’s Fool.
Tiffany Haddish: Net Worth & Sources of Income
Despite her funny bone and charm, Haddish has only a net worth of $6 million. Compared to what her fellow comedians are making (check the numbers yourself here), this net worth doesn’t reflect the success Tiffany’s movies and shows have garnered.
Haddish has spoken about wantingto build ‘generational wealth’ to help support her family in the future after she retires, which she said would be when she’s 55. Right now, her sources of income come from her autobiography, the children’s book she wrote (Layla, The Last Black Unicorn), and her movies.
Summary
What we take from Tiffany Haddish’s story is to never give up on your dreams. Find your passion and or talent and pursue it needlessly; it will help you survive through hard times. Haddish’s turbulent journey from family abuse and foster care to becoming a charming comedy star worth $6 million speaks to many struggling artists.
Images source: Instagram
Maria L. Searle
As a mother, I’ve always taught my children to share, and I believe that the best way to teach is by example. That’s why my co-authors and I have started this blog! We believe that sharing is not only an act of love but also a desire for a better life.
