Tiffany Haddish and Aries Spears have been accused of coercing minors to perform sexually suggestive acts in comedy sketches.
According to multiple reports, two siblings sued the comedians for alleged abuse. Tiffany Haddish and Aries Spears face allegations of intentional infliction of emotional distress, gross negligence, sexual battery, sexual harassment and sexual abuse of a minor.
The siblings, identified as 22-year-old Jane Doe and 15-year-old John Doe, said they were traumatized by videos filmed when they were younger. The lawsuit claims Tiffany Haddish recruited a then 14-year-old Jane Doe to mimic oral sex for a skit. Aries Spears allegedly molested a then 7-year-old John Doe for a video called “Through a Pedophile’s Eyes.’
Tiffany Haddish was a friend of the siblings’ mother, the lawsuit notes. The mother didn’t know what the comic was filming at the time but trusted her friend with the children.
“All the trauma, all the memories, all the anxiety and depression and guilt and shame and fear—I feel like all of those emotions were triggered when this video situation came to a head,” the mom told The Daily Beast. “To find out that she had violated such a sacred trust — I trusted her with my children. That is what pushed me over the edge.”
The siblings said their experiences with Tiffany Haddish and Aries Spears still affect them to this day. Jane Doe detailed a lasting impact on her love life while John Doe closed himself off from the world.
“I don’t got no friends,” John Doe revealed. “I don’t trust nobody. I’m scared of adults, I refuse to be recorded or take pictures because I am scared of weird-ass adults trying to do nasty stuff to me again. I spend all of my time in my room and do not go anywhere because I don’t trust anybody.”
The lawsuit was filed by Jane Doe on behalf of herself and her brother. Tiffany Haddish’s lawyer Andrew Brettler said the lawsuit is an attempt to extort his client. He accused the plaintiff’s mother of trying to push false claims for years.
“Plaintiff’s mother has been trying to assert these bogus claims against Ms. Haddish for several years,” Brettler told TMZ. “Every attorney who has initially taken on her case — and there were several — ultimately dropped the matter once it became clear that the claims were meritless and Ms. Haddish would not be shaken down. Now, [the mother] has her adult daughter representing herself in this lawsuit. The two of them will together face the consequences of pursuing this frivolous action.”