Tiffany Haddish Sued for Sexual Abuse of Minors as Lawyer Blasts “Bogus” Claims

Tiffany Haddish is being accused of child molestation and grooming in a new lawsuit filed Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court. Siblings identified in the suit as Jane Doe and John Doe are suing Haddish and comedian Aries Spears for sexual abuse, claiming they were coerced into filming sexual acts on camera as minors, The Daily Beast reports.

The siblings, who are now 22 and 15, allege that Haddish and Spears contacted them each on separate occasions to film inappropriate sketches. Jane, who was 14 when she filmed a video with Haddish and Spears, says she was instructed to mimic a clip showing two people “moaning and making sexual noises as they both ate [a] sandwich in a manner that simulated the act of fellatio,” according to the lawsuit obtained by The Daily Beast.

Haddish allegedly instructed Jane “how to give fellatio, including movements, noises, moaning, and groaning” while Spears allegedly watched, per the suit.

Jane told The Daily Beast she hadn’t told anyone about her alleged experience with Haddish and Spears, but a year later, when John was 7, he was allegedly encouraged by Haddish to film a sizzle reel for Nickelodeon.

The project, which was filmed in Spears’ home, was actually a short titled Through a Pedophile’s Eyes, which was later uploaded to Funny or Die, according to the lawsuit. Jane, who attended the shoot at Spears’ home with her brother, told The Daily Beast she was instructed by Haddish to stay downstairs while her brother filmed upstairs.

According to The Daily Beast, which reviewed the video, John wears only underwear in most of the footage, which includes a close-up shot of his “buttocks and crotch while he plays,” and features a moment in which John “plays with a train in a manner that suggests phallic masturbation.”

Funny or Die has since removed the clip from their website and told The Daily Beast, “Funny Or Die found this video absolutely disgusting and would never produce such content. We were not involved with the conceptualization, development, funding, or production of this video. It was uploaded to the site as user-generated content and was removed in 2018 immediately after becoming aware of its existence.”

Jane and John Doe’s suit accused Spears and Haddish of “intentional infliction of emotional distress, gross negligence, sexual battery, sexual harassment, and sexual abuse of a minor,” per The Daily Beast. They are seeking “general and special damages” in addition to “any appropriate statutory damages.”

Haddish’s attorney, Andrew Brettler, slammed the accusations in a statement, dismissing them as “bogus” and blasting the lawsuit as a “frivolous action.”

If you or someone you know needs to reach out about sexual abuse or assault, RAINN is available 24/7 at 800-656-HOPE (4673), or online at RAINN.org.