Tiffany Haddish Talks Not Knowing How To Read Until She Was In Her Teens

BY Erika Marie 9.4K Views
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Tiffany Haddish, Reading, VladTV
She explained that her family would always tell her she was stupid so she believed them.

Two comedy queens united for VladTV as Luenell interviewed Tiffany Haddish. The role usually held by DJ Vlad was handed over to Luenell as she pelted a bald-headed Haddish with questions about her upbringing. The Night School star talked about being Eritrean and what it was like visiting her father's home country. She bragged about the kindness of the citizens and how wonderful the food was before speaking about what it was like being nominated for a Grammy. The actress received a nod in the Best Spoken Word category for the audio version of her book The Last Black Unicorn.

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"That was kinda cool to be nominated fr a Grammy for reading out loud when I couldn't read at one point in time in my life when I was in my teens," Tiffany Haddish revealed. "And that drama teacher grabbed me and said, 'You're gonna learn how to read!'" The actress added that she struggled with reading "Because I thought I was stupid."

"Everybody would say to me, 'You're stupid, you're stupid, you so stupid.' At that time in my life, I took things literally," she added. "So if everybody's telling me you're stupid, my stepdad, my mom, grandma, everybody used to say, 'You so stupid.' So, I believed I was stupid and I can't read and I can't do these things because I'm stupid."

When she was 18, a girl she worked with at LAX told her she was "stupid" so Haddish got upset and threatened to beat her up. The girl clarified and said that she meant she thought Tiffany Haddish was funny, and it was a revelation that changed the comedian's perspective. Watch Tiffany talk about her life below.


About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.