Tiffany Haddish says she lost all her gigs after abuse claim
By Lisa Respers France, CNN
Following a notice of dismissal filed by the plaintiffs for a lawsuit involving allegations of molestation against comedians Tiffany Haddish and Aries Spears, Haddish says the suit has cost her work.
The “Girls Trip” star talked to TMZ about the aftermath of her and Spears being accused of having “groomed and molested” two then-minor siblings years ago in a lawsuit originally filed earlier this month in Los Angeles Superior Court.
“I lost everything,” she told a TMZ photographer when she was questioned at LAX airport on Wednesday. “All my gigs are gone.”
The complainants were referred to as “Jane Doe” and “John Doe” in the suit, which stated their names are being withheld to protect their privacy.
According to the complaint, a copy of which was obtained by CNN, “Jane Doe” and “John Doe” were 14 and 7, respectively, when Haddish and Spears allegedly had them participate in sexually suggestive videos in separate incidents in 2013 and 2014.
The pair are siblings and Haddish was a “longtime family friend” of their mother. The incidents allegedly occurred while Haddish was supposedly trying to help the youngsters get into show business, according to the suit.
At the time the suit was filed, an attorney for Haddish said in a statement to CNN that the plaintiff’s mother “has been trying to assert these bogus claims against Ms. Haddish for several years.”
“Every attorney who has initially taken on her case — and there were several — ultimately dropped the matter once it became clear that the claims were meritless and Ms. Haddish would not be shaken down,” the statement read, adding that the mother “has her adult daughter representing herself in this lawsuit. The two of them will together face the consequences of pursuing this frivolous action.”
Jane Doe filed a notice of dismissal Tuesday and the case was dismissed with prejudice based on documentation provided to CNN by a representative for Haddish. Dismissal with prejudice means the case cannot be refiled.
“My family and I have known Tiffany Haddish for many years — and we now know that she would never harm me or my brother or help anyone else do anything that could harm us,” Doe said in a statement to TMZ. “We wish Tiffany the best and are glad that we can all put this behind us.”
CNN has reached out to “Jane Doe” for comment.
Attorneys for Haddish and Spears have not responded to CNN’s requests for comment.
When asked by TMZ if she thought the dismissal might help her, Haddish responded, “I don’t know, bro. I don’t have no job.”
In a separate TMZ video, the actress said she was “concerned about the kids and making sure they were OK,” adding she felt “relieved” the lawsuit has been withdrawn and does not talk to Spears.
The-CNN-Wire
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