Tiffany Haddish is celebrating a milestone she once thought had slipped out of reach. The actress and comedian recently landed a coveted Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover, and according to Haddish, the experience transformed far more than her modeling resume. It also reshaped the way she connects with her body.
Tiffany Haddish on SI Swimsuit Cover: ‘Got me in tune with listening to my body’
Haddish revealed that appearing on the 2026 cover fulfilled a dream she had carried since her younger years as a track-and-field athlete. “When I used to do track and field, I thought I would be on the cover because I would be the highest jumper of all time,” she said. But after her athletic ambitions faded and her comedy career took over, Haddish admitted she quietly pushed that dream aside. Still, she never fully let it go. “It was always in the back of my mind,” she shared.
After tearing both menisci in her knees while filming her 2019 comedy special Black Mitzvah, Haddish said she struggled physically and emotionally. The injury affected her mobility, caused weight gain, and made her question whether the modeling dream was realistic anymore. Things began shifting after she connected with Olympic gold medalist Al Joyner, who helped her rebuild her strength and confidence.
“He said he could help me heal my knees and get me back into shape,” Haddish recalled. As she worked through recovery, the idea of becoming a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model slowly returned to the forefront of her mind. “I put it out there,” she said. “And ta-dah.” Haddish’s photo shoot took place in Loreto, Baja California Sur, Mexico, where photographer James Macari captured her in a bold orange-and-yellow bikini that highlighted her athletic build.
Haddish said the actual shoot demanded more than she expected. “There were times where there were certain swimsuits I was wearing, and I thought, ‘Now this is going to be inappropriate,’” she admitted. “Because you’re in the ocean. The ocean likes to take your clothes off.”
