Tiffany Haddish wants to clear something up. The Girls Trip star, who’s having a delicious moment in the spotlight thanks to her breakout role in that raunchy blockbuster, caught heat on social media after some remarks she made about Bill Cosby recently went viral. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Haddish had said that she still wanted to work with the comedian despite the numerous allegations of rape made against him. “I’ll drink the juice,” she joked. On Thursday, the actress directly addressed those remarks.
“It was a joke,” she said at a Television Critics Association press tour panel. “I don’t know if you’ve ever been interviewed. You go through about 27 interviews and you’re supposed to be humorous—sometimes you are going to make some bad jokes.”
The actress was at the event to promote TBS’s upcoming series The Last O.G., alongside her costars Cedric the Entertainer and Tracy Morgan. She continued by referencing her own difficult past and saying that she’s “not afraid to do anything.”
“I’m not afraid to do any kind of role as long as it doesn’t compromise my morals,” she said. “I don’t agree with what he did, but I’m not afraid of the big bad wolf.”
Haddish, a longtime comedian who has starred in projects like The Carmichael Show and Keanu, was recently catapulted to stardom thanks to her head-turning performance in Girls Trip as Dina, the foul-mouthed wild card of her friend group. Despite acting alongside major stars like Queen Latifah, Regina Hall, and Jada Pinkett-Smith, it’s Haddish who easily steals the show, earning the same kind of acclaim that made Melissa McCarthy a star after Bridesmaids.
At T.C.A., Haddish also spoke about the strangeness of being an overnight success after years in the business—illustrating the disconnect by saying that she was currently wearing the most expensive shoes she’s ever owned, but her bank account didn’t reflect her sudden acclaim. The comedian, who also has a stand-up special coming out on Showtime later this summer, compared the experience to being in foster care and then suddenly being adopted.
“I’m super happy!” she exclaimed. “I’ve been accepted finally. After all these years of hard work, blood, sweat, and tears. See me now! She ready!”
Additional reporting by Joanna Robinson.
