Tiffany Haddish, renowned for her comedic prowess, paused her routine and turned on the stage lights during a recent show to acknowledge a special person in the audience—a social worker who, years ago, made a significant impact on her life.
The actress and comedian, celebrated for her roles in “Girls Trip” and “The Secret Life Of Pets 2,” shared this heartfelt moment with her Instagram followers on December 23. During her performance, a voice from the crowd caught her attention. A woman called out, asking if Haddish remembered her.
“I don’t know if you remember, my name is Coleta Lewis?” the woman shouted, identifying herself as Haddish’s former social worker.
Upon hearing the name, Haddish, visibly surprised and emotional, repeated it and moved toward the front of the stage to get a closer look.
Overcome with emotion, Haddish requested, “Turn the lights on,” capturing the poignant moment as she and Lewis embraced in a spotlight, their faces reflecting the deep connection and gratitude.
“You saved my life. I’m where I’m at right now because of you,” Haddish expressed, her words filled with heartfelt appreciation.
The LA native said Lewis encouraged her and was among the first to believe in her comedy career.
She thanked her and said, ‘I love you,’ as the crowd erupted in applause.
Tiffany Haddish uploaded a clip of herself stopping a comedy show after she recognized a woman who ‘saved her life’
Coleta Lewis, Haddish’s former social worker, called out during her performance, asking if she remembered her
Haddish said Lewis gave her ‘two choices’ for the summer after she was getting in trouble at school: The Laugh Factory comedy camp or psychiatric therapy.
After she began to win at drama festivals, she asked Lewis which option ‘had drugs,’ and who told her, ‘If you’re going to do drugs, you’re going to therapy.’
‘That changed my whole life,’ said the comedian.
Still astonished at the sight of Lewis, she apologized to the rest of the audience, calling the performance ‘one of those weird reunion shows.’
Haddish said if it weren’t for Lewis, she would ‘probably have had like six baby daddies and s***.’
The comedian revealed in the comments on her post that she was considering quitting stand-up comedy and needed a sign from God to keep going.
‘I remember being on stage, saying to myself, ‘This is the end of stand-up, and this is just how I want to finish.’ Then out of nowhere God sends the 1st person outside of my family that actually believed in me,’ she wrote.
The two embraced each other as Haddish was in tears, she also asked for the lights to be turned on
The comedian has spoken publicly about her hardships while growing up in the past
She thanked Lewis again for saving her life and placing her in the comedy camp, which she called her forever home.
‘In that moment again God showed me that he is real and hears my prayers. He inspired her to drive from Georgia to Alabama, just to tell me she is proud of me,’ added Haddish.
‘Coleta, I am forever grateful God made you, and you never gave up on me. Thank you.’
Haddish is very open about her struggles as a child, growing up in the foster care system, which she and her siblings were placed in around the time she was 13, after her mom suffered from a brain injury after a car accident.
From that experience, she’s an advocate for foster youth and reform in that space.
