7:28 AM PT — The Recording Academy CEO, Harvey Mason Jr., says Tiffany’s deal was handled by a talent booker, and the specifics — including her having to pay her own expenses — happened without his knowledge. Nonetheless, he’s still owning up to it and expressing his frustration.
https://www.tmz.com/videos/2020-12-10-121020-harvey-mason-jr-4896720/
Mason says, “I apologized to her personally, and I apologized to her from the Academy. I expressed to her my regret and my displeasure about how this was handled. Again I want to say, Tiffany, we are sorry, and thank you for allowing me to speak on it.”
Tiffany Haddish says she turned down an offer to host a Grammys pre-show — and it’s all because the org was trying to make her foot the bill … for everything.
The comedic actor says she was offered the hosting gig for the Recording Academy’s 3-hour pre-telecast ahead of the main show in January, but when she was told she wouldn’t get paid … it gave her pause. Then she was told everything else would come out of her own pocket as well — including hair, makeup and wardrobe costs — so Tiff told them to kick rocks.
She tells Variety, “I don’t know if this might mean I might not get nominated ever again, but I think it’s disrespectful.” Tiffany is, in fact, up for a Grammy this year for her Netflix comedy special, ‘Black Mitzvah’ … she was nominated last year too for a spoken word project.
The Recording Academy tells Variety that because the pre-telecast isn’t put on by CBS but, rather, themselves (a non-profit), they say it’s normal for the hosting job to be pro-bono — and apparently has been for a while. They also said Tiff’s decision would have no bearing on any future nominations whatsoever.
That still didn’t stop TH from openly criticizing them though — she says, “How many other people have they done that to? It’s like a guy asking you on a date but telling you that you have to pay for it.”
This is just the latest controversy to dog the Grammys this year … coming a couple weeks after The Weeknd‘s outrage at being snubbed, and his allegations there were shady politics behind it.
Originally Published — 12/9 5:12 PM PT
https://www.tmz.com/2020/12/09/tiffany-haddish-turned-down-hosting-pre-grammys-show-costs/
