The Daytona 500 is one of the biggest sporting events in the country, a combination of glitz, glamor and burnt rubber that captivates the racing world.
It's a race that doesn't lack star power, but one star who will be sitting on the concourse could shine the brightest Sunday.
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The Sporting News details the rise of Tiffany Haddish, the honorary starter for the 2023 Daytona 500:
Who is Tiffany Haddish?
Born and raised in LA's South Central, Haddish overcame a difficult childhood to become one of comedy's leading ladies. She learned her craft from titans of the industry, plying her trade at Laugh Factory Comedy Camp while rubbing shoulders with Richard Pryor and the Wayans Brothers, among others.
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Haddish appeared on a host of comedy programs during the late 2000s and early 2010s, cementing her place in the world of humor. She got her big break in 2017 starring alongside Regina Hall, Jada Pinkett Smith and Queen Latifah in "Girls Trip." The film was a box-office hit and thrust Haddish into the upper crust of emerging comics.
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Haddish continued her ascension up the humor hierarchy as she shared the screen with heavyweights like Kevin Hart ("Night School"), Melissa McCarthy ("The Kitchen"), Jerrod Carmichael ("On the Count of Three") and Billy Crystal ("Here Today"). She's also an Emmy winner for her work as a guest host on "Saturday Night Live" in 2018.
In August 2022, Haddish and fellow comedian Aries Spears were sued for allegedly grooming and sexually abusing two minors. The lawsuit stemmed from a series of sexually suggestive skits that Spears and Haddish wrote. The lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice several weeks later. Haddish told her Instagram followers that she regretted agreeing to act in the skits.
