After the “Through A Pedophiles Eyes” skit featuring comedians Tiffany Haddish and Aries Spears resurfaced, the internet has been waiting to hear from either of the accused.
The video was initially uploaded to the Funny or Die digital channel but was scrubbed in 2018.
As Blavity previously reported, a 22-year-old woman identified as Jane Doe sued Haddish, 42, and Spears, 47, last week in California’s Superior Court for Los Angeles County.
The suit included herself and her minor brother, identified as John Doe. Jane alleged that Haddish “groomed” the plaintiffs, leaving them “traumatized for life,” Vanity Fair reports.
While Spears has not publicly made a statement, Haddish recently posted a statement on her Instagram account regarding the lawsuit.
Haddish said she “deeply” regrets performing in a skit that led to her being accused of child sex abuse.
“I know people have a bunch of questions. I get it,” Haddish wrote. “I’m right there with you.”
“Unfortunately, because there is an ongoing legal case, there’s very little that I can say right now,” she continued. “But, clearly, while this sketch was intended to be comedic, it wasn’t funny at all — and I deeply regret having agreed to act in it. I really look forward to being able to share a lot more about this situation as soon as I can.”
The lawsuit accuses Haddish and Spears of sexual battery, sexual harassment, sexual abuse of a minor, emotional distress and gross negligence.
Legal representation for the comedians called the allegations “bogus” and a “shakedown,” respectively, according to the New York Post.
In a statement to CNN, an attorney for Haddish said that the plaintiff’s mother “has been trying to assert these bogus claims against Ms. Haddish for several years.”
According to the complaint, Haddish was a “longtime family friend” of the siblings’ mother, who filed the lawsuit, CNN reports.
“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,” the statement read. It also indicated that 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.”
A year later, Haddish reportedly approached the family once more about a second sketch for Funny or Die, centered on “John Doe.”
He was 7 years old at the time. And Haddish allegedly claimed the reel would be used for a Nickelodeon sizzle reel.
This sketch, titled “Through A Pedophiles Eyes,” featured Spears, in character, ogling the boy character, who spends most of the video in his underwear.
According to the suit, “After filming, Mr. Doe called his mother crying, saying he did not want to film anymore,” the Los Angeles Times reports.
Photos allegedly from the video shoot were also included in the complaint.
