Tiffany Haddish Became a '10 Year Old Mom' to 3 Little Kids When Her Mother Was 'Gone'

Tiffany Haddish is one of the most talented stars in Hollywood. Today, she is thankful for her achievements, but her road to stardom was filled with numerous hurdles. Inside her difficult life.

If one's childhood experiences would always play a huge role in what they would end up becoming later in life, then Tiffany Haddish might not have been a successful comedian.

Growing up for her was not humorous; she had to go through various difficulties, including assuming the role of a mother at a young age.

Today, she is an accomplished comedian, author, and actress, doing her best to ensure children do not suffer the same fate. On December 3, 1979, Tiffany was born in Los Angeles to her father, Tsihaye Reda Haddish, and mom, Leola.

Unfortunately, the comedian never experienced a normal childhood as her family began to fall apart when she was very young. Her father abandoned her and Leola when she was only three years old.

Sadly, Tiffany did not see her father again until she became an adult. After Tsihaye left, Leola remarried and had four more children. Having a second husband did not prevent more tragedy from befalling the family. Continue reading to know what other traumatic events occurred.

THE BEGINNING OF TIFFANY'S STRUGGLE

A few years back, Tiffany had an interview with TV One TV where she detailed her terrible experiences as a child. She revealed that her nightmare began when her mother had a near-fatal car accident when the comedian was only eight years old.

Leola's head crashed through the windscreen, and she suffered extensive brain damage. After the accident, Leola's life never returned to normal. The actress confessed, "She was never the same after that. She was not normal anymore."

The accident affected Leola so much that she had to learn to eat, walk and speak again. One of Tiffany's most horrible experiences was seeing her mother in that state.

TIFFANY FELT LIKE A MOM AT 10 YEARS OLD

As Leola struggled to recover, Tiffany stepped up and became the de facto head of the household. Looking after her mother and her four younger half-siblings fell on her shoulders at such a young age. Tiffany revealed to People:

"I was basically a 10-year-old mom. I was feeding them and dressing them. I was taking care of everybody."

The actress further explained that doing all of those things made her stronger. While she struggled to look after everyone, her mom's case got worse.

Eventually, Leola was later diagnosed with schizophrenia and resolved her feelings of impotence and helplessness by lashing out physically at Tiffany.

The pain of those dark days still haunted the actress, who confessed the bewildered agony of loving her abusive mother. Tiffany declared bitterly:

"She couldn't get all her words out, so she'd just punch me. Just full-on. Because of her, I can take a punch like nobody's business."

The comedian wondered how her once loving mom became very abusive. At some point, she began to think that Leola was demonized. The comedian said:

"I used to think she was demonized. I thought like maybe someone else jumped into her body, like, 'Where's my mommy?' She's gone."

Tiffany also recalled that she used to beg her mom to allow her to go and live with her grandmother, a request that would enrage Leola, who screamed at the 10-year-old that she was her mother. Eventually, Social Services stepped in and placed Tiffany and her siblings in foster care.

TIFFANY'S EXPERIENCES WORSEN

While the comedian's younger siblings were kept together, Tiffany was placed away from her two brothers and sisters, something she could not understand or bear. She explained:

"The social workers had to stop telling me where they were because I would just get on a bus and go to them. I felt responsible for them."

When Tiffany was a teen, her grandmother finally managed to reunite the family, but it did not stop the icon from having more experiences.

The actress revealed that her grandma, alongside family members, made fun of her and called her stupid because she could not read or write.

Tiffany said she believed everything they said to her, which made her struggle with low self-esteem for a long time. She tried to live normally with every passing day, but things became worse when she was 21.

Her stepfather, whom Leola married before the car accident, approached Tiffany and told her she ought to have been dead. The man further revealed that he had snipped Leola's brakes before the accident, adding that Tiffany and her siblings were meant to be in the car as well.

Although Tiffany was unsure if he was lying and was enraged and vowed to get revenge, her grandma advised her to let God handle it.

THE BEGINNING OF HER SUCCESS STORY

When Tiffany was a teenager, an exasperated social worker tried to address her behavioral issues, but the actress acted out. Then, the social worker told the star she had two options: go to therapy or go to the Laugh Factory Comedy Camp.

It was at the Laugh Factory Comedy Camp that Tiffany learned to channel her pain and turn her tormented past into fodder for her stand-up comedy act.

She clung to her ambitions to become a comedian, and while trying to forge a reputation as a stand-up comedian, she was living in her car. It was fellow comedian Kevin Hart who helped her get off the streets and pushed her to audition for TV roles.

Today, Tiffany is an established star with various blockbuster movies to her credit and hit TV series. She also had her comedy show, "The Carmichael Show," which ran for three seasons from 2015 to 2017.

TIFFANY RECONNECTS WITH HER PARENTS

In her late '20s, Tiffany finally reconnected with her biological father after she tracked him down in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Despite leaving her at a young age, the actress wanted the man to stay with her and offered to look after him.

Unfortunately, he disappeared, but when Tiffany became successful, he reached out again, asking for another chance. The "Girls Trip" star listened to her grandfather's advice which said she was not responsible for her father.

Tiffany also reconnected with her mother. During an interview, the icon noted that she had to let go of all the negatives between her and Leola. She learned to forgive the woman and accept her for who she is.

Today, the Hollywood icon is on good terms with her mom, taking care of her and paying for her care in a mental institution.