Tiffany Haddish is hilarious in just about every interview she gives — which makes it that much more heartbreaking to hear the actress open up about her dark past.
In an interview on Netflix’s My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman, the Night School star broke down in tears while discussing her mother, Leola, behaving “very violent” toward her when Tiff was a young girl.
As seen in a sneak peek of the episode that was shared on Wednesday (below), the 39-year-old explained that her mother became an entirely different person after she was injured in a severe car accident.
Video: Tiffany Recaps ‘Game Of Thrones’ Finale On ‘Gay Of Thrones’!
She said to host David Letterman:
“When I was 8, about to be 9, she had a car accident and her head went through a windshield. By the grace of God, she lived. But she had to learn how to walk, talk, eat, everything all over again.”
One of the most damaging reproductions from the accident, Tiff recalled, was her mother’s unpredictable, oftentimes abusive behavior — which made it hard for the future star to keep living with her.
She continued:
“She had became very violent and very verbally abusive. You never knew who she was going to be. Every day was like a different day… I used to be begging my mom if I could go live with my grandma. And my mom would yell, ‘She’s not your momma, I’m your momma!’”
The comedic actress grew uncharacteristically emotional when she shared how she once even thought her mother was “demonized,” explaining:
“I thought, like, maybe someone else jumped inside her body, like ‘Where’s my mommy?’ She’s gone.”
Wow.
Video: Kanye West On What Suffering From A Bipolar Episode Feels Like
This isn’t the first time Haddish addressed her complicated relationship with Leola: she detailed her mother’s allegedly abusive ways in her 2017 memoir, The Last Black Unicorn, in which she wrote:
“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. Teachers would ask, ‘Why’s Tiffany’s lip busted?’ I didn’t say anything. As bad as she was to me, I still couldn’t help but love her.”
In the book, the actress went on to reveal that her mom was eventually diagnosed with schizophrenia and was put into a mental institution. By 2018, however, Tiff told GQ that she had recently pulled Leola out of the system and “got nurses” for her.
The actress’ My Next Guest Needs No Introduction episode hits Netflix on Friday, May 31. Ch-ch-check out the emotional preview (below).
[Image via Netflix]
Related Posts
