Tiffany Haddish on Childhood in Foster Care: “I Thought I Was Going to Die There”

“When I was in foster care, I mean, I thought I was going to die there,” Haddish said.

The Girl’s Trip actress entered the foster care system at a young age after a brain injury from a car accident left her mother struggling with mental illness.

“I remember being that foster kid and being like, ‘Man, I’m probably going to be in jail in two years,’” the South Central Los Angeles native said.

She added, “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.”

Haddish shared that the experience positively shaped her because she met people with many different backgrounds and saw how families ran their households. She joked that she also learned to pack up and move quickly if needed.

Since her time as a foster kid, the actress has starred in films alongside big names such as Queen Latifah, Salma Hayek, Nicolas Cage and more.

Last year, she also won a Grammy for best comedy album for Black Mitzvah.

As Haddish, a Black woman who grew up in foster care, sat with two little Black girls while taping an episode of the CBS series, “Kids Say the Darndest Things,” a producer shared the amazing news.

“I really won? You know a Black woman hasn’t won in that category since 1986? A Black woman hasn’t won in that category since Whoopi Goldberg,” Haddish said.

“Yes, I learned that in Black History Month,” one of the girls responded.

The actress shared a clip of the tearful celebration to Twitter.