‘I’m Manifesting’: Tiffany Haddish Declares She’s Looking for a Good Man as Her Sizzling Sports Illustrated Cover Leaves the Internet in Meltdown
Tiffany Haddish‘s fans have watched the California native reach for impossible stars over her career.
Fans have listened to stories about her challenging life growing up, how one teacher changed her life as a young teen by teaching her to read, and how, despite those tough times, she has become one of Hollywood’s biggest stars.
Now Haddish is finally living out the dream her grandmother planted in her decades ago — and she’s doing it with the whole world watching.
On May 12, the comedian and actress officially debuted as one of the cover stars for the 2026 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
She made history as the first comedian to land the coveted cover, following in the footsteps of celebrities such as Tyra Banks and Gayle King.
The spread left fans stunned by Haddish’s physical transformation and others celebrating what they saw as a full-circle moment.
The cover shoot, photographed by James Macari in Loreto, Mexico, features the “Girls Trip” star in multiple high-fashion looks, including a Dolce & Gabbana swimsuit.
But for Haddish, the milestone quickly became about much more than modeling.
During an appearance on the “Today” show with Craig Melvin and Savannah Guthrie, the 46-year-old became visibly overwhelmed seeing the cover for the first time on live television.
@todayshow Tiffany Haddish opens up on TODAY about achieving a dream of being a model and wishing her grandma, who was also a model, was around to see her on the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit.
Sports Illustrated Swimsuit tapped Haddish alongside Alix Earle, Hilary Duff and Nicole Williams English as cover models for its 2026 issue.
“It was amazing to actually be in those moments,” Haddish said before getting choked up. ‘Wishing my grandma was alive,” Haddish said. “I’m looking at it right now like, ‘Oh my goodness, that’s me.’”
Her grandmother, according to People, was named Alice Ray.
Ray, a former swimsuit and clothing model in the 1950s, raised Haddish and her siblings after the actress entered foster care as a teen due to her mother’s mental health struggles.
“My grandma was a swimsuit model and a clothing model,” the actress explained. “She was one of the first few Black women to be on television modeling clothing, and she used to show us how to pose.”
Haddish admitted her grandmother once gently told her modeling might not happen because she “didn’t grow tall enough.”
He tried to steer her toward comedy instead. But she never stopped dreaming.
“I just kept dreaming of it, kept hoping, wishing — and now I’m doing it,” she said.
The emotional interview soon took a hilarious turn when Haddish began discussing her dating life and the men she’s currently “manifesting.”
The actress, who famously married herself during a trip to Africa, joked that the “marriage” is going great because she and herself “get along really good.” Things got awkward once the hosts brought up the attention she’s likely getting as a new cover star.
“Is there anyone you’re manifesting?” Guthrie asked.
“Oh yes,” Haddish answered with a grin. “I’m manifesting several dudes.”
The comment sent the male host into visible discomfort as Haddish teased that the mystery men were famous names she had previously discussed privately with them before the show.
“I don’t want to give out no names because I don’t want to scare the boys,” she joked. “I know how they get scared when they hear their name.”
Melvin nervously shifted in his chair while Al Roker made him the butt of the joke, leading viewers to say the segment looked like a live comedy sketch.
“This was both entertaining and HILARIOUS! WAY TO SQUIRM, guys,” one person wrote on YouTube.
Not everyone had nice things to say.
“Don’t look like her,” one person commented on Instagram. “I did not recognize her at first glance. I had to read who it was,” another wrote.
But plenty of fans showed up for her. “Yessss sis!!! You ate that all the way up,” one supporter wrote. Another added, “Snatched.”
On X, one user tweeted, “I wish the youngsters had not learned the word ‘manifested.’”
Just last month, Haddish revealed she’d been encouraging fans to write handwritten letters to Sports Illustrated asking for her on the cover.
What they say? Sun’s out buns out? Exactly.
Tiffany Haddish is manifesting her Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover and honestly, we’re never mad at a manifesting queen. Miss the episode or want to relive it? Stream #TheJasonLeeShow now on YouTube! pic.twitter.com/SdcISrUnR7
— BET (@BET) April 24, 2026
“I’ve been getting my fans everybody to write a letter to Sports Illustrated and tell them that you want to see Tiffany Haddish in a two piece with her biscuits out on the cover,” she said.
Weeks earlier, she posted a viral bikini video from the Bahamas — strutting through a resort pool waterfall in an orange two-piece while Michael Jackson’s “Bad” played. Fans flooded the comments praising her confidence and energy as she moved through the water like a runway veteran.
Now, between the swimsuit cover, viral clips, and her very public search for love, Haddish appears fully committed to this next chapter — one her grandmother probably saw coming long before everyone else did.