Tiffany Haddish has been awarded $95,198 in legal fees after successfully shutting down a defamation lawsuit filed by her former friend, Trizah Morris.
The ruling, made by an arbitrator, also granted $50,000 in fees to comedian Aries Spears, who was named alongside Haddish in the suit.
The case stemmed from allegations Morris filed in August 2023, claiming Haddish and Spears defamed her during a 2020 legal dispute involving her children.
The children had accused the comedians of misconduct in a since-dismissed lawsuit. Morris alleged that statements made by Haddish’s legal team during the fallout of that case damaged her reputation, branding her as an “extortionist.”
Court documents revealed that Morris had signed a settlement agreement in the earlier lawsuit, which released all claims against Haddish.
The arbitrator concluded that Morris’s defamation lawsuit violated the terms of that agreement and deemed her claims baseless.
The settlement agreement, submitted in court, detailed that neither Haddish nor Spears paid any money to the Morris family. Instead, a mutual friend intervened, covering $232,000 in charitable contributions and a trust for Morris’s son.
Haddish and the Morris family had also agreed to a non-disparagement clause as part of the settlement.
Haddish’s legal victory underscores her determination to defend her reputation.
“This is a significant moment of justice for Ms. Haddish,” her legal team stated, stressing that the claims were “meritless and clearly aimed at a shakedown.”
