Tiffany Haddish Was Working On A Homeless Dating Show Before The Strike

Comedienne Tiffany Haddish is working on an unscripted series centered on homeless men dating wealthy and successful women. The actress-comedian signed the deal with Hearst Television in June 2023, a month prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike that has now put the project on hold. A newly revealed interview with the Hollywood Reporter explains why Haddish was working on such a unique project.

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JULY 12: Tiffany Haddish attends The 2023 ESPY Awards at Dolby Theatre on July 12, 2023 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

Haddish revealed in the interview that she was once homeless herself. “I experienced homelessness myself and found that there was a stigma on it that I don’t think should be there,” Haddish said. The comedienne does not shy away from discussing this time in her life in her comedy. Haddish most recently appeared in Disney’s “The Haunted Mansion” remake alongside Rosario Dawson, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more.

Internet Reactions

The show is attracting a slew of mixed reactions. Some viewers look forward to a show that could potentially shift the public opinion and humanize the homeless. Others feel that the project could easily cross boundaries and wind up exploiting the homeless men.

is it giving a platform for homeless people or is it exploitation

— nicholas dante (@nicholasdante_) August 11, 2023

Some feel that the show will bring an entirely new concept to the reality television sphere. The unique power dynamic is yet to be explored by other popular reality franchises.

https://twitter.com/EIIieAnnThomas/status/1690097947512598528?s=20

Others feel that the show’s concept is insensitive, and that Haddish should instead simply involve herself with shelters and charitable organizations to give back to the homeless instead.

I’m sure they would rather just have a check and a home.

Sorry, but having to star in a show where you are at the mercy of a producer who can’t even send you home Bc you don’t have 1…

Just write a check, help them with housing, and she has the resources to do so, seems best.

— Briturican (@Briturican) August 11, 2023

Some are excited to see their experiences represented onscreen. Haddish went on to elaborate that she felt inspired to work on the series due to the need for representation of unconditional love and support.

As someone myself who was homeless this makes me happy, I hope the message she’s intending is spread through the show and helps people. I hate reality television but I’ll be tuning into this.

— FilmZone (@AMovieTruth) August 11, 2023

It is unclear where the project currently stands in the development process. Given that it would be unscripted, pre-production continued throughout the first two months of the WGA strike. Given Haddish’s status as a SAG-AFTRA member, the process halted in July when the union joined the WGA in a historic joint strike.