The lawsuit filed against Tiffany Haddish and Aries Spears that accused the comedians of sexual battery, sexual harassment and sexual abuse of a minor has been dismissed. The lawsuit. which was filed in late August by a 22-year-old woman and her minor brother (identified as Jane and John Doe), was dismissed at the request of the plaintiff.
Spears took to Instagram to address the lawsuit’s dismissal, sharing a screenshot of the news with the caption “I hope y’all keep that same energy.” Haddish’s representative Cesidia Carosa also provided a photo of the notice of dismissal, adding that it was filed “with prejudice,” meaning the plaintiffs will be unable to file the same claims against Haddish or Spears again.
Jane and John Doe alleged in the lawsuit that they were both assaulted by Haddish and Spears in Los Angeles several years ago when they were minors, claiming Haddish was a “longtime family friend” of their mother. The lawsuit described several instances of grooming and molestation by Haddish and Spears, such as when the comedians worked with the plaintiffs on a “Funny or Die” project about eight years ago that was sexually suggestive. In a statement posted to Instagram Sept. 5, Haddish said that while there was very little she could say on the legal matter, she deeply regretted taking part in the “Funny or Die” skit. writing, “Clearly, while this sketch was intended to be comedic, it wasn’t funny at all.”
According to the lawsuit, the plaintiffs’ mother previously attempted to work out a $15,000 settlement with Spears over the video of John Doe but was unsuccessful. The suit did not specify the monetary value the plaintiffs were seeking. Spears’ attorney Debra Opri called the lawsuit a “shakedown”, while Haddish’s lawyer Andrew Brettler called the plaintiff’s previous claims of abuse “bogus.” Brettler said: “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.”
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