Tiffany Haddish Reunites With The Teacher Who Taught Her To Read, Shares Emotional Moment
On a recent episode of The View, Tiffany Haddish had a heartfelt reunion that moved her to tears. The special episode, aired on Teacher Appreciation Day, featured the Girls Trip star reconnecting with her high school drama teacher, Mrs. Grieb, who taught her to read during her teenage years at El Camino Real High School in Los Angeles.
Tiffany, now 44, recalled how Mrs. Grieb discovered she couldn’t read well in 9th grade.
“I was very good at hiding and masking and pretending and she figured out that I couldn’t do it very well,” she admitted.
Mrs. Grieb “would have me come to her class at lunch, in that 15 minute break, and she would give me magazines and newspapers and she would sit with me to read. Basically by the end of the semester I was reading!” Tiffany shared, visibly moved by the memory.
It had been 25 years since Tiffany last saw Mrs. Grieb in person, although they kept in touch through social media and phone calls. Overwhelmed with emotion, Tiffany expressed her gratitude, saying, “Thank you so much for being patient with me…Thank you so much for always encouraging me, and taking time with me and listening to me.”
Reflecting on her challenging childhood, Tiffany added, “During that time I was really struggling a lot and you were the most consistent, constant thing in my world next to my grandma. I’m so grateful for you, I’m so glad I met you. Thank you so much for being kind.”
The reunion was made even more special when Alyssa Farah Griffin presented Mrs. Grieb with a limited-edition copy of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the play that won Tiffany a high school drama competition. Mrs. Grieb responded, “It’s a great play, and she was great in it.”
Whoopi Goldberg, also a host on The View, noted the profound impact teachers can have: “Great teachers, you never know your effect on a student. If you’re a teacher sitting out there, thank you for everything you do.”
This touching episode coincided with the release of Tiffany’s new memoir, I Curse You with Joy, published by Diversion Books on the same day. The memoir follows her 2017 New York Times bestseller The Last Black Unicorn and explores the ups and downs of her life and career, including dealing with her mother’s mental illness and her own time in the foster care system.
