Tiffany Haddish has sparked uproar online with her Israel trip, with the visit causing the comedian to lose over 14,000 Instagram followers in less than 12 hours.
The Haunted Mansion actress flew to the country on Tuesday, sharing a video of the journey to Instagram.
The short clip shows Haddish sipping a drink on the luxury flight, while describing her decision to visit the "Holy Land."
"I'm just on the airplane," the 44-year-old said in the footage. "Business class, on my way to Israel."
Hamas launched a shock attack on Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people and taking 250 hostages. Israel subsequently fired airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, where the Palestinian militant group is based.
Supplies of food, energy, fuel and medicine into Gaza were suspended, before Israel began a ground offensive into the territory.
As of February 21, over 29,000 people in Gaza have been killed, the Associated Press reports, while more than 80 percent of the area's 2.3 million population have been made homeless.
The war has led to fierce debate online. Celebrities have been facing backlash for their pro-Israel or pro-Palestinian stances. Public figures attempting to remain neutral, such as Selena Gomez, have also faced criticism, while those choosing not to speak out on the conflict have been slammed for their silence.
The Tiffany Haddish Israel Controversy Explained
Haddish's late father was Jewish, with the comedian celebrating her heritage in the 2020 Netflix special Black Mitzvah.
In the Instagram video, Haddish suggested all of her followers visit Israel, telling them to "do it."
"On my way to Israel to learn and see with my own eyes," she captioned the clip, sparking a flood of outraged responses in the comments section.
"What in the actual f***," said Mira.
"Gotta be the most insensitive and ignorant a** thing I've seen..." wrote @only1djbop.
"The fact you can fly and 'holiday' in Israel but Gaza is pretty much destroyed gives you all the information you really need," said @caitlinthegeek.
"Sippin on a mimosa on your way to go see a genocide is INSANE," commented Catrina.
"Really Tiff?! wow, honestly there so much I could say but damn this is heartbreaking," said Ravyn Ariah Wngz. "You are not a safe space and your instincts are inherently flawed and dangerous."
However, other users supported Haddish, telling the Girls Trip star to enjoy her stay.
"Safe Travels," said @the_wingqueen.
"You are going to love it!!! I had a great time," wrote Paulette Saymyname.
"Praying you are safe and you find all you are looking for," said HeatherTeanna Mitchell.
"Respect to you!!" commented @ajewishresistance. "Thank you so much for going to Israel, we love you."
The video has caused Haddish to hemorrhage followers, according to Social Blade. At the time of writing, 14,215 people have unfollowed her on Instagram in just 11 hours.
Newsweek has reached out to Tiffany Haddish for comment via Instagram.
Haddish isn't the only celebrity to face backlash for visiting the country during the conflict, with Elon Musk, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner also causing controversy with their recent Israel trips.
Haddish also referenced fellow comedian Mo'Nique in the video, after the latter recently reignited their long-running feud.
The Feud Between Tiffany Haddish and Mo'Nique
"I'm sorry y'all, Mo'Nique," Haddish said in the video. "I'm going without you, I'm sorry."
Mo'Nique appeared on Shannon Sharpe's Club Shay Shay YouTube show on February 7, where she touched upon the mess with Haddish.
Mo'Nique mentioned previous comments Haddish made about her husband and manager, Sidney Hicks, in 2018.
During a GQ interview in 2018, Haddish discussed Mo'Nique's call for a Netflix boycott. Mo'Nique rejected the streamer's offer of $500,000 for a one-hour show, describing the proposal as "biased" and "discriminatory."
The comedian later filed a lawsuit against Netflix, claiming the service had paid or offered comedians Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, Ellen DeGeneres and Ricky Gervais "40 times more per show" than Mo'Nique. However, the lawsuit was dropped in 2022.
Addressing the boycott call, Haddish told the publication: "My business run different than her business.
"I don't live her life. I don't have that husband of hers. I'm looking at how [Netflix has] opened up so many opportunities for black females and comedy."
"When my people are dying, that's when you gonna catch me protesting," she continued. "I'm not gonna protest because somebody got offered not the amount of money they wanted to get offered."
Mo'Nique hit back at Haddish on Club Shay Shay, mocking the Emmy winner's arrest record.
"When I saw that, it's like, Tiffany, if you had a husband like mine, you may not have two DUIs," she said. "If you had a husband like mine, you may not be caught up in what looks like you could have been grooming a child."
Mo'Nique was referring to the 2022 lawsuit against Haddish and Aries Spears. The case was filed by an anonymous brother and sister, who claimed the comedians groomed them as minors. However, the case was dismissed shortly afterward.
"When you speak about having a husband like mine, you open up the door," Mo'Nique continued. "And I'm saying to you, if you had one like mine, you may not sit in these positions that you can't explain the next day."
Haddish responded to Mo'Nique's remarks a few days later, telling Entertainment Tonight: "I am grateful and thankful that I am on the minds of people that I look up to."
Newsweek has reached out to Mo'Nique for comment via phone call to Sidney Hicks Productions and her legal representative, but they declined to comment at this time.
Update 02/22/24 10:25 a.m. ET: This article has been updated to include a response from Mo'Nique's representative.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Sophie is a Newsweek Pop Culture and Entertainment Reporter based in Lincoln, UK. Her focus is reporting on film and ... Read more
