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tiffany haddish

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Tiffany Haddish recently opened up about how her adulthood panned out differently than she expected it would as a child growing up in the foster care system.

Now a Grammy-winner, author and one of Hollywood’s biggest names, the 42-year-old actress spoke about her childhood during a keynote conversation at this year’s Variety Changemakers Summit.

“When I was in foster care, I mean, I thought I was going to die there,” Haddish shared. “I remember being that foster kid and being like, ‘Man, I’m probably going to be in jail in two years.'”

Thankfully, the actress’ mindset about her future eventually reached a turning point as she reached her late teens.

“When I made it to 18, I was like, ‘Okay, I got to really think bigger,'” Haddish recalled. “And I did think bigger — and I’m definitely where I thought I would be.”

“Well, it’s bigger than what I thought,” she candidly admitted of her success. “But I feel the way that I was hoping I would feel, and that’s secure in my ability to provide for me.”

Haddish’s hard work and determination towards making it big paid off with the mainstream success of her starring role in 2017’s Girls Trip

The star has remained an advocate for children in foster care throughout her career. In addition to sharing her personal experience, Haddish provides support through her She Ready Foundation. 

The organization matches current or former foster youth with internships and resources.

“When I was a kid and I was moving around, all my stuff had to be in trash bags,” Haddish told Variety. “And moving like that is not good for the self-esteem because it makes you feel like garbage that can easily be transported to here or there.” 

“You start thinking of yourself as such, as garbage. That was the worst feeling in the world, personally,” said the actress. “And I told myself if I ever get any power, I’m going to try to make sure kids don’t feel like that. If I can reach out, I’m going to try to change that feeling for them.”

RELATED CONTENT: “Tiffany Haddish Reveals She’s About That Ivy League Life And Now Studying At Harvard”

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