A Jane Doe lawsuit has been filed against the comedians, who have both denied the allegations and the actress’s lawyer says claims are ‘bogus’.
A 22-year-old woman charges Haddish (Girls Trip) and Aries Spears (Mad TV) of intentional infliction of mental distress, gross negligence, sexual battery, sexual harassment, and sexual abuse of a minor in a Jane Doe lawsuit filed on Tuesday.
The sister and brother, who were both young, allegedly felt pressured by the two comedians to act inappropriately and suggestively on camera for their performances. According to Jane, Haddish “groomed” the plaintiffs, leaving them “traumatised for life,” according to court documents seen by people in Los Angeles Superior Court.
The plaintiff asserts that Tiffany Haddish was “a longtime family friend” of her and John Doe’s mother and that, in 2013, when Jane Doe was 14 years old, Haddish brought her to the set of a “sexually suggestive Subways commercial,” which Haddish allegedly claimed would help Jane Doe get on television and be featured in the teen’s film reel. Haddish allegedly taught Jane Doe how to engage in improper sex during the recording after witnessing an older man and lady on a video.
According to the lawsuit, both siblings continue to suffer from the trauma of the video shoots, and Jane “feels constant remorse knowing that she was only a few feet away when Spears was molesting her 7-year-old little brother in the other room.” John says he places band-aids over any cameras on all of his electronics due to an ongoing fear of being watched and recorded.
The lawsuit claims that in 2018, the mother of the siblings tried to settle with Spears, but Tiffany Haddish “wanted no part” of the deal. The complaint also claims that because Jane and John were juveniles without a court-appointed counsel looking out for their best interests, the settlement is not legally binding for them.
