Tiffany Haddish Defends Zimbabwe Video After Backlash . Recently, Haddish has been no stranger to public criticism, especially following the child sex abuse allegations made against her and fellow comedian Aries Spears in a lawsuit that was eventually dismissed. Even though the case was dropped and Haddish issued an apology for the controversial sketches involved–one notably titled “Through A Pedophile’s Eyes”–many people remain unsympathetic to her actions. Another controversial moment occurred a few months back when she visited Israel, claiming she wanted to witness the war “with her own eyes” and “find a man.”
Haddish’s love for travel is well-known, but her latest trip has ignited yet another controversy. This time, she is facing backlash over a video she posted while visiting Zimbabwe. In the video, Haddish appeared genuinely surprised that the African country had a grocery store, which many found offensive and stereotypical.
In her TikTok video, Haddish roamed through the aisles, expressing amazement at the variety of products available, such as organic strawberries, sugar cane, and dates. “Hey y’all, so I’m out here in Zimbabwe, and look at the grocery store,” she said in the video.
“They got a grocery store. It’s beautiful. It’s beautiful. It’s a grocery store. Look at these organic strawberries. This is what I love. They sell sugar cane. It is fire.”
She continued, “How much are these? $67. The price is different, but it does look like it’s expensive. Look at this grocery store. It’s huge. It’s absolutely humongous.”
Her astonishment over Zimbabwe’s well-stocked grocery stores did not sit well with many people online. They criticized Haddish for perpetuating outdated stereotypes about Africa. The video quickly garnered a flood of comments on social media, with many questioning how Haddish thought Zimbabweans acquired their food.
One user commented, “Did she just say ‘they got a grocery store’? Where did she think we get groceries? Straight from the farms?” Another added, “I’m too confused on whether to laugh or feel sorry for her. It would be good to get @TiffanyHaddish to explain why she was surprised to see a grocery store in our beloved country? It’s not like we get our food through scavenging or hunting & gathering.”
Most of Haddish’s responses to the backlash were interactions with followers who had criticized her TikTok post.
One person asked the actress, “Did you think we ate grass?” She replied, explaining that her views were influenced by how Africa is portrayed in U.S. media.
Her response was, “No. But the media had me thinking all of your foods are purchased in outdoor markets with goats and cows just hanging out waiting to be slaughtered, with all kinds of smells and flies everywhere.”
She wrote, “If they had shown you the whole video, you would have seen me say I am demystifying some nonsense that we have been told and shown in America.”
One person commented, “You have access to literally all channels and books, yet you remain this ignorant.” Another fan wrote, “You could have done your own research and not depended on the media. I mean, Google is free!”
Despite the backlash, Haddish has yet to respond to the criticism over her video. She did, however, turn off the comments on her Instagram post about her visit to Zimbabwe, which suggests she might be aware of the controversy.
While she appears to have enjoyed her time in Zimbabwe, her remarks have sparked a significant conversation about the importance of avoiding stereotypes and educating oneself about other cultures before making public statements. This incident serves as a reminder of the impact that ignorance and misinformation can have, especially when shared on a global platform.
