REVOLT returned from the July 4 holiday break with another episode of one of the hottest series out, “The Jason Lee Show.” On this week’s installment, which aired on Wednesday (July 12), host Lee sat down with longtime friend and stand-up comedian Tiffany Haddish.
The actress and star of the upcoming sequel Girl’s Trip 2 stopped by for an extended discussion covering several topics, including navigating stardom but staying true to her roots, her plans to someday welcome children, thoughts on critics who don’t seem to find her funny, and so much more.
Haddish’s rise to fame began in the early 2000s when she showcased her comedic talents on the popular competition series “Bill Bellamy’s Who’s Got Jokes?” The breakthrough opportunity paved the way for her to venture into the world of film, where she has since made her mark with a string of successful movies like Girl’s Trip and Night School.
However, despite her meteoric rise and critical acclaim, the actress has remained grounded in her native neighborhood, South Los Angeles.
Haddish told Lee, “It’s important for me to stay there because that’s where I’m from and I want to make it better, right? I guess I could make it better… get out of the hood, and just come by, and do things and make it better that way, but I want to be present.”
The actress said it was imperative to her that she be “visible to the youth in the community.” Despite pressure from friends like fellow comedian Kevin Hart and championship boxer Floyd Mayweather, Haddish shared, “I feel safest there.” She continued, “I know everybody. They know me. They protect me. I protect them. We look out for each other. It’s my community and I want to be where I’m welcomed.”
Haddish later opened up about her mental health journey as she shed light on her challenges with self-love. The film star admitted that since childhood, “Anything people would say about me, I took that on.” However, as she got older and with the expansion of social media, the actress said she no longer cares about the opinion of others — good or bad — including online claims that she’s not funny despite her many achievements.
“I’m not for everybody just like everybody ain’t for me,” she said. “Like, if I’m not funny to you, cool. I’m not supposed to be funny to you. You are not the person paying my bills. You not the studio executive, you not the theater, you not the promoter,” the actress added before noting, “Even if the promoter don’t think I’m funny, but I’m selling out seats… they want to do business with me.”
“I don’t need everybody to think I’m funny because I’m not funny all the time. I’m a human. Sometimes, I’m going to be funny and, sometimes, I’m not going to be funny,” she continued. “I don’t need some stranger’s validation on if I’m talented or not. I know that I’m funny. I have survived this life through being funny. I have gotten out of getting my a** beat by f**king big a** body b**ches by being funny. So, you can’t sit here and tell me I’m not.”
That said, the longtime funny woman has several projects set to be released in the near future, but despite a busy schedule, the actress assured Lee that she will uphold her plans to welcome a child with him. The Night School star shared she’s done her research and has been eyeing the possibility of having their child through in vitro fertilization (IVF).
The conversation continued as Haddish opened up about getting dating advice from musician John Mayer and not taking photos with people who call themselves fans but speak negatively about her on social media. Of course, there was also a game of “Smash or Pass” and so much more.
Like always, if you liked what you heard, tune into new episodes of “The Jason Lee Show” every Tuesday on REVOLT’s TV channel at 10 p.m. ET as well as every Wednesday on the REVOLT website, YouTube Channel, and app at 5 p.m. ET. Also, don’t forget to watch the latest installment with Tiffany Haddish here.