Tiffany Haddish lit up with one of her signature smiles Tuesday when a judge said she would serve “no more jail time” after pleading guilty to a single count of driving under the influence in Georgia.
The actress and comedian appeared by video at the court hearing in Fayette County as she accepted responsibility for the January 2022 incident where someone called 911 about a driver asleep at the wheel at a traffic light. In video of the hearing, obtained by The Associated Press, Haddish grinned broadly as the judge said all other charges would be dropped, based on the recommendation of prosecutors.
Haddish was officially sentenced to 12 months of probation and 24 hours in jail, though she was credited with time served. Under the terms of her probation, she must avoid drugs and alcohol, submit to testing, complete 40 hours of community service, undergo a substance abuse evaluation, and complete a DUI counseling program.
The performer who won a Grammy for her 2019 comedy album Black Mitzvah was arrested in January 2022 after she was pulled over driving a white Ford Explorer south of Atlanta. The 911 caller reportedly claimed someone had been passed out in the driver’s seat of the SUV, with their foot on the brake, in Peachtree City.
Haddish was arrested again in November 2023 in Beverly Hills, California, on suspicion of driving under the influence. In that case, police said they responded to a call of a person blocking a roadway, possibly slumped over the wheel. The officers encountered Haddish and took her into custody.
Known for her roles in the 2017 buddy movie Girls Trip and the Disney comedy Haunted Mansion, Haddish had just performed at the Laugh Factory’s 43rd annual free Thanksgiving feast and party. She was on her way to deliver food to a friend when she was pulled over, she later explained on Jimmy Kimmel Live. She ended up pleading no contest to a reduced charge of reckless driving and was ordered to serve one year of probation and complete 40 hours of community service, a driver’s education course, and the Mother’s Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Victim Impact Program.
“Ms. Haddish has agreed to a simple vehicle code violation — not driving under the influence, which has been dismissed — and looks forward to this being behind her,” her lawyer Alex Spiro, also known for representing Jay-Z, Megan Thee Stallion, and Alec Baldwin, told Rolling Stone at the time.
