Tiffany Haddish entered a no-contest plea for reckless driving related to her arrest in Los Angeles during last year’s Thanksgiving holiday.
The Girls Trip actress, 44, saw her two misdemeanor charges dismissed through a plea deal after her arrest last November, as stated by the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office to PEOPLE.
Haddish, present in person on Thursday, entered a no-contest plea for a violation of Vehicle Code section 23103 and 23103.5, also known as “wet reckless,” according to the statement.
A DUI charge can be downgraded to a “wet reckless” charge through a plea deal, avoiding automatic driver’s license suspension associated with a DUI. This misdemeanor charge was confirmed in a statement by Haddish’s attorney, Alex Spiro, who mentioned, “Ms. Haddish has agreed to a simple vehicle code violation (not driving under the influence, which has been dismissed) and looks forward to this being behind her.”
The Haunted Mansion actress received one year of summary probation, accompanied by a directive to fulfill 40 hours of community service and participate in Mothers Against Drunk Driving’s Victim Impact Program.
Haddish is required to attend a HAM (Hospital and Morgue) Program, participate in an SB1176 driver’s education program, and cover standard fines and fees.
Additionally, she received a “Watson” admonition, a legal document mandatory for individuals with DUIs, acknowledging awareness of the harmful or deadly impact their actions can cause.
She was instructed to furnish evidence of completion to the clerk’s office, and currently, no future court appearances are scheduled. Initially, Haddish entered a not guilty plea in late December, with a pretrial hearing slated for Feb. 14.
Legal issues arose for Haddish following an arrest on Thanksgiving weekend when she reportedly fell asleep behind the wheel of her Tesla. Discovered by Beverly Hills Police Department officers around 5:45 a.m. on Nov. 24, she faced one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence of alcohol and another misdemeanor count of driving with .08% blood alcohol content.
The night before her arrest, Haddish performed at The Laugh Factory in West Hollywood for the venue’s 43rd annual free Thanksgiving feast. Following her release later that day, she entertained at the Laugh Factory in Long Beach, California, humorously addressing the situation. In a recording obtained by TMZ, she quipped, “I had prayed to God to send me a man with a job, career, preferably in a uniform, and I answered my prayers.”
In a Nov. 27 interview, Haddish assured that the incident “will never happen again.” She explained that her Tesla parked itself after she fell asleep. Despite the situation, she expressed being in “good spirits” and shared her commitment to seeking help for learning balance and boundaries.
In January 2022, the Nobody’s Fool actress faced a DUI arrest by Peachtree City police officers in Georgia. Subsequent to her California arrest, Georgia prosecutors sought a modification of Haddish’s bond conditions, aiming to prohibit her from drugs and alcohol, as per a court document obtained.
